Kurt really hadn't meant to sleep longer than a few hours but the short drive after the long flight and constantly being on edge about Blaine had Kurt quickly relaxing in his arms and sleeping for hours. By the time he woke, the sun was lower in the sky and the bed empty.

He got up and took a scan around the room to find suitcases empty and put to one side as well as one of the pink lemonade glasses by his bed. He was a little confused, rubbed his waking eyes and stood to put on a pair of yoga pants to lounge around in. He often found himself confused about Blaine but he had known coming on this trip was a leap of faith that Blaine would settle, not worry so much about the job and all his insecurities. He wondered if he was being too trusting, that maybe one day Blaine would break his heart but as he walked out of the bedroom to see Blaine surrounded by grocery bags and steaming food he watched and knew that Blaine's guard was finally fully down. As Kurt entered, a slightly flustered Blaine turned round and his face, though slightly panicked, stretched out into a broad grin which clearly reached his eyes.

"You're awake," Blaine said happily, "Please help me," he grimaced soon afterwards, knowing his plans were going awry and Kurt chuckled, coming closer.

"What are you cooking?"

"Just a simple Spaghetti Carbonara but the sauce has congealed slightly and I can't seem to manage the pasta and the sauce at the same time," he said, nearly whining but Kurt seemed to know what to do instantly and grabbed more cream and seasoning, stirring and mixing to form the right texture. Blaine took a step back and watched in awe as Kurt deftly took control. Blaine had only glanced at Kurt as he had come in, quickly returning to his cooking in an effort to salvage what he could, but as he stood back he could appreciate the view he had before him. Kurt, wearing nothing but yoga pants looked beyond perfect, the skin of his back smooth and pale with not a blemish but there were sleep lines along his back where he had stretched and Blaine had to touch and feel. He tentatively came closer, Kurt concentrating on the sauce before him, not noticing the hand reaching out to feel along his silky skin.

"Oh," Kurt said, the word coming out as a strangled moan and Blaine leant in closer, his whole arm surrounding Kurt's waist.

"Your skin is amazing," Blaine whispered as he leant closer to kiss Kurt's shoulder, the bare skin underneath his lips feeling sleep-warm.

"Blaine, I need to do the sauce," Kurt said, stirring madly in order to stay focused on the given task.

"But you taste so much better and you came out looking like that," Blaine said taking a slight step back but looking lasciviously at the man in front of him.

"Looking like what?" Kurt said cheekily, knowing full well what Blaine's darkened eyes revealed about his thoughts.

Blaine paused slightly, taking another step back to be able to fully appreciate and describe the sight in front of him.

"Fottutamente bello," Blaine said, his words coming out quickly and he swooped in to pepper Kurt with kisses so gently that it tickled Kurt's neck and caused sighs of pleasure to escape.

"Blaine the dinner...." Kurt said, his head falling back as Blaine continued to kiss and nip the expanse of pale skin on show.

"You can't come out like this, all beautifully perfect, all sleep-warm and not expect me to notice, to come closer, to touch what I can. I'm only human Kurt," he said, single words between kisses and tiny touches. Kurt lowered his head after a while, realising if he didn't stop now he never would.

"Don't do that," Kurt said, returning to the dinner, resolutely avoiding Blaine's eyes in case he fell again. Really that guy had wonderful lips and magical powers.

"Don't do what?" Blaine asked, instantly serious and worried.

"Make our relationship all about that, all of nothing," Kurt said, a steely quality to his voice now which Blaine hated.

"Sex? Is that what you mean?" Blaine said and Kurt looked up, noticing the offended tone and smiling sadly.

"In a way," Kurt said, finally turning the stove off. "I don't want to be just another conquest to you, another Sebastian." At the mention of a person solely related to their lives on the outside Blaine blanched and looked hurt. He nearly stumbled back onto the kitchen counter. He covered his reaction with a cough as he gathered plates and a table cloth to set the table outside on the terrace.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Kurt put the final touches to dinner, saw the effort Blaine had gone to prepare the perfect first dinner in Italy. He swallowed the guilt that threatened to rise and tumble out as an apology, as he took in Blaine's straight back and strong pose as he poured drinks and got ready to eat.

Kurt quickly changed into a more appropriate outfit for dinner and everything was taken outside to eat on the terrace where the sun was lower in the sky but not yet settled. The Alps could be seen on the horizon standing majestically and unmoving and they both took a moment to watch and admire in silence. They really were small in comparison.

They started eating, the dinner now completely restored and no one could tell it had been so close to disaster. Blaine would glance at Kurt every so often and smile sadly but nothing else was said as they ate and Kurt was considering apologising when he thought again and dropped his fork, causing Blaine to look up from where he had been staring at his spaghetti.

"Why do you do it?" Kurt whispered, "Why do you sleep around like that?"

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, clearly confused, his eyes wide.

"I mean why put yourself out there like that, like you just don't matter?"

Blaine stared at Kurt for what felt like ages before a slight smirk graced his lips.

"I don't mean to be obvious but with the lack of any decent male material around in the real world, why not dip in and enjoy when you find them?" he said.

"But you're surrounded by beautiful men and with the nature of the job, a high percentage probably gay – why not try conversation and a real relationship?" Kurt asked.

"I have, I am," Blaine said emphatically, his tone defensive. "It's harder to find than you think."

"That doesn't answer my original question," Kurt said, "I know it's hard, I'm in the same situation so believe me I know but you don't seem like the others. You were never happy doing that, surely?"

Blaine felt exposed. He didn't really know why he'd slept around. It was easier with Sebastian because he'd never expected conversation and light laughter or domesticity but with the others it had just been about sexual needs and satisfaction. Sebastian had been convenient because it was the same person and he didn't have to hunt for it. He never really searched for anything else.

"No I guess I was never happy doing that," Blaine said sadly his eyes downcast.

"Hey," Kurt said lightly taking Blaine's hand where it rested between them on the table, "I'm not judging, I promise. You just seemed unhappy with it all and I guess I never understood why you did it."

"Or why you do it," he finished. Blaine looked up.

"No it's in the past," Blaine said, "We're exclusive right?" Blaine's voice trembled slightly at the end as if he still feared rejection and Kurt looked beyond sad that he had felt the need to ask.

"Blaine, we're definitely exclusive, as long as you're happy," Kurt wasn't asking a question though it sounded slightly like he needed confirmation and Blaine smiled sadly.

"I'm definitely happy with that Kurt," he said, "I want to be exclusive. I don't really understand what you do to me... I always feel like my skin is paper-thin around you, like you can see through everything, warts and all."

"You definitely don't have any warts," Kurt said, laughing and taking a chance to scan over Blaine's face, neck and torso as he held his fork to his mouth.

"You know you're worth so much more than Sebastian and casual fucks right?" Kurt asked after a while, Blaine in the middle of twirling spaghetti on his fork. Blaine looked up, his eyes shining to be told such a sweet thing. He nodded.

"Good, I just wanted you to know," Kurt said, continuing to eat and seeming satisfied that he had done well. Blaine watched as Kurt twirled spaghetti on his own fork and ate, completely oblivious to Blaine's eyes flitting over his beautiful face. Kurt couldn't possibly understand what he had said and how much it had meant to Blaine. Brushed aside by his own parents, now completely his own person he hated to admit to himself how lonely he had been for so long. Kurt looked up in the silence and smiled at Blaine's face, so clear and open in the dimmer light of the lake in front of them.

Finishing their spaghetti, appreciating the gentle swish of the water and the noises of a village, Blaine soon brought out the dessert: a traditional tiramisu from a local shop and filled their glasses with wine from a vineyard not too far away.

It must have been something about the setting sun or the great expanse of mountain ahead of them but Blaine found himself answering Kurt's simple questions during the evening. Kurt didn't want to pry and it was so obvious to Blaine that he was just interested in his life story and wanted to know more so Blaine told him everything.

Kurt laughed about Burt and Carole and how they always worried he wasn't eating enough in New York and whenever they visited they would bring casseroles for him to freeze and store just in case. He told stories about Rachel and how she had been the most unexpected best friend he could ever find. Blaine found himself sharing stories of pranks and singing with the Warblers and Kurt laughed and noticed the twinkle in Blaine's own eyes, the relaxation in his face.

"What about your parents?" Kurt asked, Blaine's posture suddenly changing, "Where do they live now?"

"Still in Ohio," Blaine said simply, wanting to go back to earlier conversations, hoping to gloss over his awkward relationship with his parents.

"Do you see them often? What do they do?"

"No I don't see them often and they're both lawyers – it's how they met."

"Do you they like you modelling? I mean I think my dad wishes I did something else but is happy if I'm happy," Kurt said by way of explanation.

"I don't think they really care," Blaine said simply, the laughter lines around his eyes long gone and he stood indicating the empty glasses in front of them. "Another drink?"

Kurt nodded and smiled, recognising the avoidance tactic and not wanting to push. Blaine soon came back with the wine bottle which they finished, a warm glow appearing on Blaine's face from the wine already drunk. There was a beat of silence until Kurt tried again.

"I'm really glad my dad is ok now though, he had cancer last year and nearly died of a heart attack a few years ago so he seems to keep cheating death and reminding me how much I really need him. I can't imagine life without him."

"Gosh Kurt, that's tough. How did you get through that?" Blaine looked a little astonished. Imagining going through that himself, without needing therapy or rehab, seemed impossible.

"Good friends, family," Kurt said shrugging his shoulders as if everyone had that. "I did develop a little OCD though," he laughed, "Tapping my nose at certain times, only wearing blue. I guess things get a little crazy sometimes."

"How did he react when you came out?" Blaine asked quietly.

"I was really nervous. I saw how he got close to my step-brother when he married Carole and I always suspected he wanted a straight son, someone he had things in common with. When I told him, he said he'd known since I was three and asked for sensible heels. It was never an issue, he said he loved me just as much and he's shown it so many times over. I really am lucky."

"Yeah," Blaine said wistfully, looking at the swirling wine in his glass.

"Your parents not as understanding?" Kurt asked tentatively.

"You could say that," Blaine laughed with no real humour. "They barely acknowledged it. I was expecting my dad to get angry but he just became colder when he finally registered that what I said was true. There was a brief time when he believed he could convert me, straighten me out by bonding over cars but when that finally didn't work and I went to a Sadie Hawkins dance with another boy, he just retreated. I wasn't the son he wanted so he went away. My mum never really changed, I think she suspected all along."

"I'm sorry Blaine," Kurt said kindly stroking his hand as it rested on the table between them. "At least they're not antagonistic about it?"

"Oh yeah there is that," he said ruefully, "I guess I wasted a lot of time when I was a teenager expecting more from them and found them lacking so many times that I guess I stopped expecting. I barely see them and they don't expect me to contact them beyond Christmas and birthdays. They probably see more of me in the papers and magazines."

They sipped more wine as they spoke about Kurt's mum and his memories of her until Kurt looked up and gasped slightly.

Taking a quick look at Kurt, Blaine then turned his attention to the view. The sun had nearly set and was just above the mountain, stretched out in all directions around it, almost as if the source of light was the mountain itself. It seemed to glow and shine, the water shimmering in the drops of light emerging from the rock, like a perfect sheen.

"Wow," Blaine breathed.

"That's so amazing," Kurt whispered, "I can't believe we're here." He turned to Blaine and smiled, knowing he didn't want to be here with anyone else.

"Thanks Blaine for bringing me here," he said then turned to the water again, tears appearing in his eyes. Although the view really was beautiful, the sunset perfect, Blaine found himself watching Kurt's face as the sunset reflected on his face and in his eyes. Kurt's eyes seemed to swim, his smile serene and sweet, his appreciation of the beauty so obvious that Blaine could only stare at his profile in amazement. Blaine suddenly realised the light appeared to be shining from his face, his skin aglow and peace emanating from him and he smiled.

"Why are you looking at me?" Kurt said, turning to face Blaine suddenly and laughing nervously. "There's so much beauty out there," he said, pointing at the sunset ahead of them. Blaine simply shook his head.

"I'd much rather watch you," he whispered and Kurt blushed slightly under his intense gaze.

They watched for a while, Blaine still admiring Kurt's beauty occasionally looking at the lake view as the sun fully set in the sky, now becoming obscured by the mountains ahead. Kurt didn't notice Blaine was getting closer to him, until Blaine's arm brushed along his own, sitting closer in the wooden seat.

"I like you a lot Blaine," Kurt suddenly whispered in the near darkness, the sun the only source of light apart from the lamp in the room behind them. His eyes were twinkling as he looked sincerely at Blaine, who was mere inches from his face. He suddenly wanted to declare so much more, could feel Blaine's warm breath on his lips and came closer, brushing his own against Blaine's rose coloured lips. Blaine seemed to relax into the kiss, melt against Kurt and his hand cupped his cheek gently, something to hold onto as he fell. Kurt's skin prickled at the touch, shots of electricity shooting down his spine and then he could fully taste Blaine's warm lips that tasted of wine, so soft and light which elicited a moan. Blaine pulled back and smiled before his lips grazed Kurt's again, this time with more pressure and urgency, making them lightheaded and dizzy. Kurt felt along Blaine's chest, his fist tightening on his shirt, balling the material into fists in an attempt to pull him closer. Blaine's lips parted nervously as Kurt's tongue trailed slowly along his bottom lip. Their tongues met and swirled together slowly like they had all the time in the world and this was just one more area to fully explore. Blaine feels like he's come undone, first through conversation and revealing so much of himself and his weaknesses and now this – a sweet, slow kiss that has him even weaker. He's not used to this: feeling and wanting, he's only ever known speed and the deft removal of clothes and getting the deed done. He maps the roof of Kurt's mouth with his tongue as his hands weave around Kurt's back, feeling the muscles stretch and move under his fingers. When they finally part, gasping slightly for air, the sun has completely set and the mountains loom over them slightly darker than the water and just as majestic as before. Blaine's eyes glow almost like cat's eyes of amber and Kurt smiles that his beauty here and now is just reserved for him and he has a whole week to find out more and settle and fall and it's glorious.

"Mi togli il respiro," Blaine breathed.