"When the princess awoke, it was late in the evening, with the sun falling down behind the trees. The few reddish rays that crept between the thick leaves shone down on the still pond, where water bugs plopped onto the surface and made small ripples. Alarmed that shed slept so late, through afternoon tea and through dinner and through her nightly bath, the princess was unable to enjoy any more of the peacefulness that surrounded her because she was so fretful over her maids, who had probably turned the castle upside down looking for her, and even more so, her parents, who treasured her more than any jewel they owned. But the worst part was, with the nighttime darkness setting in, the princess could no longer see the path shed walked on to come here, and she frowned as the trees closed in around her, their arms stretching down to snatch her up. Frightened, the poor princess stayed where she was, and she cried into her hands because she was too scared to pull them away from her eyes." Kurt gave the book a pitiful look as he felt for the princess, knowing how terrified he would be if he ever found himself lost and so far from home.

Blaine, who was lounging a few inches away, lifted his hands from the ground and wiped them on his jeans because the grass had made his palms itch. He scooted closer to Kurt and wrapped him in his arms, feeling him collapse against his chest. Kurts head drooped to Blaines collarbone, which pressed into his cheek, and he flipped the page, wanting to get to the scene where the frog rescued the princess from her fears. "At the sound of fragile tears splashing to the ground, the frog waded to the top of the pond, and he stared out at the princess, who he hadnt known had risen. Even in the deep blackness the shadows of the trees cast upon the ground, the princess still glowed as bright as she had in the daylight. Croaking at the girl, he sank deeper into the water when she jumped, drawing herself up into a tighter ball. She pulled away from the water, where the noise had resounded from, and then she shook her head at herself because she was being ridiculous over a frog. But then she startled again when the frog got up enough courage to belt out a greeting through his gravelly voice. At the sound of a mans voice, the princess withdrew from the general direction she thought it came from. But there couldnt have been a man in the pond!" Pausing because he helplessly giggled at the funny way they would meet, Kurt nuzzled deeper into Blaines shirt, his legs stretching out next to Blaines so he could be more comfortable. His bare feet brushed a silky flower that had bloomed up from the small garden they had planted. "Thinking shed gone crazy in her distress, the princess promptly stood from the ground and batted off her skirts. She simply couldnt stay here through the night, if only she remembered which way the castle was from here. If she went the wrong direction, she could end up in a different country. Devastated that she might never get home to see her parents again, the princess went towards the trees, but her foot got caught in a pile of fallen branches, and she hopelessly pulled back, nearly tumbling back to the ground."

As Kurt turned another page, Blaine leaned closer so he could see the almost comical image of the princess and the frog finally looking at each other eye to eye, a stunned expression on her face. He would have looked the same had he come across a talking frog. "The frog, seeing her desperation to escape the entrapping woods, poked his head out of the water again, and gave off a quiet noise, asking her where she was going. The princess spun around so quickly that she almost lost her balance again, and she asked who was speaking to her. To her surprise, a small frog appeared at the top of the water, looking at her with a pair of beady eyes. Even though she couldnt see his mouth, she had the slightest, but most outrageous, suspicion that the staring frog was the one trying to make conversation with her. Maybe the stress of being lost had gotten to her, or perhaps it was a bad plant she had stumbled upon that caused hallucinations at the touch of skin. Whatever the case, she heard the voice again, telling her that it was he, the small frog that drifted over to the shore. With his slimy hands, he reached up to the soil and climbed his way out of the pond, and before he could say another word, her scream pierced the blanket of silence that had settled over the woods, all except for the nocturnal animals that crept nearby. He told her that it was okay, that he knew it was strange himself, but nothing settled her as she darted away from him, only to end up at the wall of trees again. She pleaded with him to stay away from her, but that did not stop the frog from bouncing over to her. He said that she shouldnt be frightened, that he meant no harm, and that he only sought to help her. But this did not convince the girl, only slowed down her attempts to get away from him."

"The frog knew where the princess wished to go, that the castle was exactly three miles north of where she stood, but did not tell her so because he did not know it was the princess he was speaking to. Being that he was a poor beggar from the town that bordered the castle, he was never invited into the castle, and nor had he ever seen the royals who ruled his country. In fact, he didnt even know there was a princess that would one day take the throne, because she was even more shut away from him than the king and queen, by demand of her parents that she stay in the safety of the castle. When she didnt tell him that she belonged in the castle, he urged an answer out of her by telling her that he knew the region well and could get her wherever she wished, as long as she returned a favor to him. The frog did not mind his new form, without tax collectors banging down his door and threatening to take away his belongings, and a rumbling stomach that pleaded with him for food that he couldnt buy. In this form, he could live peacefully in a pond, only shooed away when a couple of pesky birds swooped down and pecked at him. And his food often floated right by his face, and while it left a bad taste in his mouth, it kept his stomach full. But, even though he had no one to talk to when he was human, he realized he missed the overheard words people who passed him by said. He could have done with some human company. The animals he lived with had no interest in anything but eating and sleeping, which left him very lonely. Hoping that the girl would eventually learn to not mind his outer appearance, he told her that he would show her the path home if only she would come back to see him. The girl hesitated to respond to him, still thinking herself mad that she was actually listening to a frog form comprehensible sentences. Maybe she was simply imagining this, and in her desire to go home, she was making up false directions that would lead her even deeper into the woods. But she supposed that any steps were better than no steps, so she quietly agreed to return, even though she didnt plan to. The last thing she wanted was to end up lost again. Besides, she was certain that even if there was a frog in front of her, it was just her delusions that were making him speak. Although he would miss her until she came back, he hopped in the direction she should go, and he watched her quickly run away, pushing through the dangling limbs and leaves, and stepping over roots that stuck up from the ground, without a look back at the small frog who privately wanted, more than anything else he ever had, not food, not money, not clothing, for her to show herself at the pond very soon."

Kurt closed the book when he finished that chapter, and he set the book aside in favor of taking Blaines hands. The two of them snuggled close together as they looked forward to the frog and his princess falling in love just as they had. Blaine found that Kurt loved a love story that was more humorous than it was sad, and it made him smile at Kurts silly personality. He hoped that he would never make Kurt sad.

In the latest hours of the night, the last drinks were finished off and the dirty glasses were returned to the bar, from where Karofsky deposited them in a tray and slid them through the small window through which he could see the back of the building, where the kitchen was being scraped of grease and the dishwasher was constantly clanking around as it struggled to spit out the cleanest dishes. Nothing about this place was very spick and span, but no one seemed to care as long as they had their fill of grease leaking burgers, because the stripper club across the street certainly wasnt going to serve them anything but sweaty girls. If only someone would complain about the high prices, and then Karofsky could actually afford to get his kid a meal from here and wouldnt have to stop at an even dingier place, hoping that anywhere at all would be open as he returned home before the crack of dawn.

While his coworker, Danny, slaved over wiping dishes down in the back, the bangs and cracks of drawers sliding and plates clattering to the counter resounding in Karofskys ears that had slowly started to tune him out, his other coworker, Jeanette, lounged on one of the barstools, her nose buried in her phone, as it had been for the past two hours. And because she was facing away from the incoming customers, on the opposite side of the bar as she should have been, people often mistook her for a young, college girl seeking to drink away her stress over upcoming tests, which meant that Karofsky ended up pouring all of the drinks, even for large crowds, since the last coworker scheduled for the night shift was Vince, who had taken cleaning duty.

Of all of the other employees Karofsky was scheduled most nights with, he would have preferred the company of Danny over the two others, if he actually bothered to give Karofsky the time of day. Danny never spoke much, simply grunting whenever dishes came out and were ready to be stocked away, which Karofsky didnt mind. His other employees didnt talk much, either, but every now and then Jeanette would mumble something to Vince about going out to the movies over their break. But Karofsky sympathized most with Danny, who was also a single dad trying to work for every dollar he made to feed not one, but five mouths. He was twenty years older than Karofsky, and had recently been fired as the maintenance guy from a hotel just down the street because hed been taking money, and most would have turned a mean eye on him for that-it was lucky enough he was hired at another job, but Karofsky understood his desperation. There were times when robbing a bank crossed his mind. The other employees, however, were both twenty one, a year younger than Karofsky, but still didnt have anything to live for but themselves, with no other mouths to feed at home. Jeanette commuted to a technical college a few blocks away from the bar, and worked night shifts because her days were packed with school work. Because of her parents low incomes, she had to buy her own way through college, not that Karofsky saw much of a purpose in her going. She was plying for a business degree, but with the hours she put in on the simplest classes offered she could, at best, be an accountants intern, and all of the money she earned went into buying gum and upgrading her phone.

Vinces family, on the other hand, had money, so much that Vince didnt even consider going to college. He was trying to get into the family business by one day owning his dads restaurant, but apparently his dad wasnt just going to hand the keys over, and he made Vince get a job in any place that sold food for work experience. So Vince had taken the lazy route out and became the guy that wiped tables at a bar that had been filthy for so long that no amount of cleaning could fix it. And while Karofsky could see himself getting along better with the man behind him than some spoiled kid who he could find nothing in common with, he didnt mind it that Vince was in front of him all night, where he could stare at him since he had nothing better to do while he idly stood at the bar, waiting for the town drunks to crawl their way through the door because they couldnt stand up on two feet. When the bar emptied out, just before they closed for the night, theyd usually get at least one or two bums to come in for a few drinks. Karofsky could also sympathize with these men, who had typically been cheated on too many times to count and were at the lowest points in their lives if their wives didnt come pining after them, desperate for forgiveness. Karofsky knew exactly how they felt, so maybe he did pour them a little extra. The boss wouldnt know if their liquor was down a few fingers, and it certainly wouldnt kill the guys who took it with appreciation. They were already at their wits end with life, anyway.

"Karofsky." It had been so long since hed even seen the man who had done to him what those drunkards wives had done to them, so he was shocked that his voice came out so clearly, but, if he really let himself think about him, he couldnt forget a detail about the beautiful man hed loved. But the voice was so much like him that Karofsky was almost convinced that hed walked into the bar, maybe even to just see him if hed called him out right away. "Karofsky." The voice made Karofskys stomach churn, not from hunger, even though he hadnt eaten since after his evening shift, which ended nearly eight hours. He hadnt felt his stomach become so light like that in a while, at least since hed first gotten Hunter. It surprised him, and made him reach down to grab it so he could stop it from rolling. "What are you doing?"

Blaine let out a helpless laugh as Karofskys fingers carded through his tangled curls, his large hand so unexpectedly gentle on the difficult knots that slowly came undone after a few tugs. Keeping his heavy hand light on Blaines scalp, Karofsky felt him move under his palm, his curls pushing back as Blaine shoved them off his face. He stroked him again, his fingers twisting a curl around them so he could hold Blaine in place, stopping his struggle to release his hair from Karofskys caressing hand. When he finally turned to face Karofsky, who was leaning back against the bed with one tight arm around Blaines waist, pinning him to his side, his dark cheeks flushed a deep red at the look on Karofskys face. "Stop. My hair is a mess." Frowning at the way Blaine yanked at his hair, making a few of the curls Karofsky had just tamed spring up again, Karofsky drew him closer, even though Blaine dug his toes into the carpet, trying to resist the touch.

Holding Blaine so close that he wasnt given an inch to jerk away, Karofsky quickly pressed his lips to his hair, sighing at the softness that brushed his rough skin. As Blaine shifted against him, still so uncomfortable with being close to him after a year of knowing each other, Karofsky finally gave in and slid his lips down to Blaines sideburn, then over his high cheekbone. Bringing his hands up from Blaines waist, Karofsky paused at the small of his back, and Blaine, needing something to place his hands on so he didnt lose his balance, collapsed into Karofskys chest, his hands grabbing fistfuls of Karofskys jacket. Staring down at Blaines scrunched face, Karofsky took note of the worried lip that was caught between his teeth, and the flutter of his lashes that were half draped over his golden eyes. His eyebrows were wrinkled in the middle of his face, and lines appeared where Blaine had rumpled his forehead.

Knowing that Blaine would never let Karofsky come this close to him if he was completely clearheaded, mainly because hed be confused since Karofsky had to put on the act that he was completely straight, Karofsky had gotten him just tipsy enough that he could keep Blaine in his arms without feeling threatened that in the morning Blaine would remember any of this, but sober enough that it was still Blaine. At sixteen years old, Blaine was still so innocent, with a straight laced attitude that made it difficult on Karofsky to convince him to step away from his childhood naivety and into what was commonplace for Karofsky by the time he hit puberty. But Karofsky had ways to deter Blaines opposition, and while he didnt like to use them, forcing Blaine to do exactly as he said was just how they could love each other in private, since they couldnt do this in public without Karofsky outing himself.

At the tired lull in the conversation, Blaine let out a big yawn, reminding Karofsky that it was in the later hours of the night, when both of them should have been nodding off. Slowly boosting himself up to his feet, Karofsky reached down for Blaine and grabbed his arms, helping him onto the bed. Karofsky lowered beside of him, the bed creaking under his hefty weight that Blaine didnt have. For sixteen, Blaine wasnt thin like the average teenager, and might have been just a little chubby around his thighs and butt, but at least he didnt have a stomach that bounced every time he moved. As Blaine shifted around on the flattened pillows, trying to find the comfiest spot to lay on, Karofsky rolled closer to him and pressed the front of his body to Blaines, holding himself up by his elbows. Blaines golden eyes blinked up at him, and then they closed at the feeling of Karofskys fingers running across his forehead, down the bridge of his nose, and over his thin lips. Blaine parted them as Karofsky slid his finger along the crease between them, and Karofsky smiled when Blaine bit the tip of his finger. "You do know that I think youre beautiful, dont you?"

Blaine, although shy, secretly craved attention, something that Karofsky had figured out from the flush that had colored his cheeks when Karofsky had first told him how gorgeous he was. After being abandoned by his parents at a young age, and then ending up with very few friends because of how timid he was, Blaine would do anything for a pretty compliment, but quickly rejected them after he got them. "I do." He whispered after he released Karofskys finger, and he bit down on his lip instead, instantly making the colorless piece of flesh turn red. Tilting his head to the side, Blaine took a deep breath before he continued, "But Im not... Im plain."

Shuddering as Karofsky placed his lips on Blaines chin, he closed his eyes again, feeling Karofskys fingers slide through his. "Youre not plain, Blaine." Karofsky certainly didnt mind telling him over and over again, until he was certain that there were none more stunning than him. He lowered his body onto Blaines, pressing himself chest to chest with the man below him, and he let him feel the hard outline beneath his sweatpants. Karofsky was surprised to feel something similar below his cock, but then Blaine let out a rough breath, revealing that he was somehow attracted to the big body above him. But maybe Blaine was less attracted to the physical, and instead liked the way that Karofsky made him feel. Whatever the case, it had Karofsky turned on. "Do you know that I love you?"

At that, a small, but hesitant, smile pulled at the corners of Blaines mouth, just barely showing the tips of white teeth. "I know," he assured him, one hand that was slightly muscled lifting to Karofskys head. While he didnt have hair that Blaine could dig his fingers into, Blaine still scratched his nails over Karofskys scalp, making him growl. As Karofsky bent his neck so their faces were only inches apart, Blaine let out a breathless murmur, "I love you, too." Karofsky grinned into the kiss he pressed to Blaines lips, so relieved when Blaine responded with a cock of his head so they could move their lips closer together. When his hand brushed Blaines stomach, he felt developing muscles contract, and he slid his hand lower, all the way down to the waistband of Blaines boxers, which Karofsky had stripped him down to hours ago when they last kissed.

Digging his fingers beneath the thin fabric, he heard Blaine gasp under his rubbing lips, and then he cried out when his hand fished out the thing hed been looking for. It wasnt the first time hed stroked Blaine into an orgasm, and he doubted itd be his last, but it was so thrilling time and again that it always felt like the first time. Sucking on Blaines damp, bottom lip, Karofsky let go with a soft pop, and he turned his head down to Blaines swollen cock, which was already leaking pre-cum on his hand. He slid up and down the veiny shaft, his fist bumping into his tight sac each time he came back down. His mouth watered at the juices that leaked from Blaines purple tip, and he found it too tempting to not drift down Blaines body, pressing kisses where his shirt was drawn up along the way. He stopped at two tight nipples, both a startling cherry shade against his brown skin, which were pulled into two pointy nubs. Flicking his tongue over the tips, Karofsky licked the dark trail of hair down Blaines stomach, his mouth falling into the deep valleys of Blaines abs. At last, he got where he wanted to be, and he opened his mouth over Blaines tip, slowly closing him in with a pucker of his lips. "Karofsky!" Blaines hips snapped up to his face, making him choke on the extra inches that hit the back of his throat, and he swallowed thickly, hearing Blaine cry again. "Karofsky!"

Karofsky snapped his head up at the racquet of a palm slapping the counter, and he blinked his bleary eyes at the dark room around him. Realizing he was back in the bar and not in his bedroom with Blaine, Karofsky frowned at all of the people staring at him. Danny had one foot out the door after hed clocked out for the night, and Vince had paused in wiping down an especially sticky table, and Jeanette had frozen with one arm in the air as she stretched to turn a TV off. Suddenly, the only noise in the room was the pop of her gum as she blew a bubble to break the silence. But in front of him was his boss, who had spent the night tucked away in his office, punching numbers into his computer. Henry Milton looked at him like he had bugs crawling out of his ears, so he reached up just to make sure there wasnt anything on his face, but found nothing except a thin layer of sweat.

"Are you falling asleep on your shift?" His boss, who had very little patience for him to begin with, narrowed his eyes at him, and then shook his head before he gave Karofsky a chance to defend himself. "Thats it, Karofsky. Im cutting back your hours. You cant work nights anymore." With that, he turned his back on him, and Karofskys mouth fell open. Knowing that fewer hours meant fewer dollars in his paycheck, Karofsky shoved his way through the swinging door that closed off the bar from the main room.

"Wait!" Karofsky pleaded, unable to believe that after so many years of being on top, he was the one who was on his hands and knees. This was what hed fought against all along, and he knew that it wouldnt be like this if he still had Blaine. "I need these hours! You dont understand. I have a kid at home-"

The man, clearly uninterested in Karofskys sob story, turned back on his heel. At first all he offered Karofsky was an exasperated sigh, and then he shook his head before he continued, "Mr. Karofsky, I hope you know that I dont have to schedule you for any hours. You can work afternoons and evenings... and I will..." he paused for a moment, as if unable to even say the words, "raise your pay... since youre not a bad employee. But I expect no more sleeping on the job. Goodnight, Mr. Karofsky."

Karofsky leaned back against the bar counter, considering the things hed just heard. With his new schedule, things could be very different with Hunter, who he never saw because he was too exhausted to keep his head off the pillow in the mornings and afternoons. Maybe he could use his freed up time to take his baby out for breakfast... try to get closer to him. A wavering grin pulled at Karofskys mouth, just because he wanted nothing more than to be Hunters dad, not even to be with Blaine again. Blaine had left him, but Hunter had stayed. He didnt know why, but the fact that he would still be there when Karofsky got home was more than he could say about Blaine, the man he wanted to hate, but still, for some reason he didnt know, loved. Hed broken Karofskys heart long ago, but it was Hunter who put the pieces back together.

Blaine wandered through the endless maze of flowers that had bloomed so they could warm up in the hot weather, his hands reaching up to the drawstrings of his sweatshirt. Grabbing the hood, he pulled it over his head, feeling his tee shirt slide up as it clung to the inside of his thick hoodie. As soon as he had the heavy layer of clothing taken off, he pushed down his much thinner shirt that let him breathe. It was an automatic response to grab a sweatshirt in the morning because of the brisk chill that settled in, summer or no, but as the day dragged on, the breeze blew away all of the cold, and thick, stifling heat hung limply in the air. Throwing his hoodie onto a nearby bench until he looped back around to this walkway and could collect it as he went inside, he picked up his pace and caught up with Keegan, who walked behind with him. A few feet ahead of them, Kurt and Archer skipped hand in hand, Archer nearly violently swinging their arms back and forth as they bounced along.

They laughed about something that Archer shouted, but Blaine couldnt make out what either of them were saying. Suddenly distracted from his task when he came across an especially pretty flower, Archer darted off the path and knelt down in front of the petunias, pointing at them so Kurt could see. Kurt made an excited noise at Archers discovery and hurried over to his son, kneeling beside of him. After he bundled Archer up so he wouldnt fall face first into the flowers, they both bent forward and sniffed the flowers. Pressing his lips together so he wouldnt grin at their playfulness, Blaine suddenly jerked his head down to his jeans, which buzzed as his phone went off. Keegan glanced back at him as he fished his phone out of his pocket, and he caught the name on the screen a second before Blaine silenced the ringer and stuck the phone back in his pocket. Giving Blaine a dubious frown, he stepped closer to him and bumped his shoulder with his own. "Your brother?" Keegan questioned, because he thought he remembered that Blaines brothers name was Cooper, but wasnt entirely sure.

Blaine opened his mouth, but he didnt answer Keegan, and only sighed heavily. Shaking his head, he covered his face with his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, thats Coop." When Keegan put a hand on his shoulder, Blaine pulled his hand away, revealing a pair of arched brows. Worry lines appeared on his forehead when his brows pushed up on it. "Dont worry about it. Its nothing." Suddenly, Archer popped up from the petunias like a springy monkey, and he anxiously waved for Blaine and Keegan to hurry up. "Daddy will be there in a minute, Archer!" He called to his son, then glanced over at Keegan again, pursing his lips at the look on his face. As if he had read Keegans mind, he immediately became defensive, and he said, "Is it wrong for me to let him call me his dad?"

Keegan let out a breath of air, and he lowered his hand from Blaines shoulder, "Blaine, hes two years old. You know what your brother said. Hell be back by the time Archer is three. Dont you think... its time to tell Archer the truth? This could be bad if you let it go on for much longer." When Blaine didnt reply, Keegan looked down at the ground, where he was staring, and wondered what was so interesting about the pebbles they were kicking up. "I mean... Blaine, your brother hasnt ever heard from his own kid. Does Archer even know about him?"

"He doesnt need to right now." Blaine blurted in one breath, his voice as sharp as a knife. "Keegan... if he knew about Cooper, he would spend the next year missing his real dad-"

"You cant miss someone you dont know." Keegan interrupted, and Blaines eyes widened as he glimpsed up at him, as if shocked that Keegan was daring to challenge him. "You can miss the idea of it... but youve already filled that role for Archer. Archer wont care if Cooper is here for him or not... as long as he has you. Blaine... I know you love him, but it was just... a bad idea for you to let him think that youre his real dad. Hes going to be hurt and confused when he finds out the truth." Blaine didnt make a sound to tell Keegan that he was even considering what he was saying, so Keegan continued after taking another deep breath, "You let him become attached to you and Kurt as his parents. When he doesnt have you anymore, hes not going to be able to become attached to Coop and his..." Keegan didnt know anything about Coopers girlfriend or fiancée or wife, whatever she was, but Blaine muttered what she was, supplying Keegan with his answer, "his fiancée. If you let him know about Coop now... and let Coop talk to his kid... they might be able to work out the distance between them." Blaine didnt give him even a word, and Keegan raised his voice slightly, trying to make him understand how urgent this was for not only his brother, but also Archer. "Blaine, if the first time you tell Archer about Coop is when hes walking through the front door-"

"I get it!" Blaine threw his hands apart, unable to take any more of Keegans talk. Stuffing his hands back into his pockets, he lowered his head and stalked a few inches in front of him, trying to shake him off his back. "Okay? I get it. You probably think Im a selfish ass... I do, too. Do you think I dont realize that what Ive done is going to hurt Archer... my brother... even Kurt? But it happened... I let it happen. But Archer doesnt have a dad right now... at least, not a dad who can kiss him goodnight and hold him when hes scared. And I dont have a child... Kurt and I can never have a baby together. Just... let me have Archer for as long as I can. Please, Keegan. Dont tell him about Cooper."

At the nervousness in Blaines tone, Keegan felt an instant guilt for pressing Blaine to give up his baby, even though he did think that he was being sensible. He remembered how much Evie had wanted children with him, children that they couldnt have, so he lifted his hand to Blaines tense back and rubbed in a small circle. "Its okay. I wont tell him anything. I feel like you need to be the one to handle this. I just want whats best for all of you... and I think that this could hurt you." Turning his head, Keegan pressed a kiss to Blaines forehead, which was still scrunched up with wrinkles. "I love you, Blaine. Youre the brother that I never had." Blaine, who knew about Keegans older brother who had died in the car accident, looked over at Keegans soft expression, and he met those sad, turquoise eyes.

"I love you, too." Blaine wrapped his own arm around Keegan, and as he laid his head on Keegans shoulder, loving the feeling of his strong support both physically and mentally, he smiled at his baby, who was hopping in circles around Kurts legs. Although it hadnt rained since yesterday, he still somehow found a small puddle and leapt away from Kurt, splashing into it and sending water flying all over a squealing Kurt. He frowned at the dark splotches on his white dress, but his grief over his ruined dress didnt last long when he saw Archer tip over, landing on his bottom in the murky water. Giggling at his baby, Kurt figured that there couldnt be much more damage done, and he bent over and flicked his hands through the water, which sprinkled all over Archers shirt.

Babbling nonsense at Kurt as he fussed over how wet he suddenly was, Archer slapped his hands into the water, and Kurt screamed when droplets soaked into his tights and dribbled into his heels. He shook his head at the pair, but inwardly grinned at the nonsense they could get into. Walking over to the two of them, Blaine sat down by his son, being careful not to get his butt wet, but his cautiousness was all for not when Archer abruptly hit Blaine with a wave of water. "Daddy!" He yelled into his ear, even though he was right next to him, and Blaine rubbed his sharply aching ear.

"Sweetheart, Daddys right here." Blaine said, but Archer wasnt interested in the location that Blaine was in as he jabbed a finger across the walkway, where a few of the flowers had sprouted up to reveal green stems. "Are those your baby flowers?"

"Theyre not sleeping anymore!" Archer clapped his hands to both of his cheeks, and then he burst into laughter as Blaine scooped him out of the gross water and plopped him into his lap, making his thighs uncomfortably damp. Blowing on the back of his sons hand, Blaine felt him remove it, and he pressed his lips to Archers pudgy cheek, pretending to nibble on his skin. "Daddy, look! That ones really tall! Its like Hunner! Hunner was really big! He made me feel small."

Even though Blaine still felt hurt whenever Hunters name was brought up, he managed a laugh, anyway, "You are really small. You get that from me, baby." At Kurts soft titter, Blaine glared up at his husband. Hed never been able to get over the fact that Kurt had a few inches on him. "Honey, I need to get you in the bath and your clothes in the washer before you start to smell musty." Leaning in, Blaine breathed in the smell of rain water that had sat in the dirt for too long, and he made a foul face. Archer unhappily argued with him that he didnt want a bath, but Blaine still stood up and held his son to his chest. "You can come back out if you promise not to jump in any more puddles."

"Daddy, down!" Archer kicked his feet, ignoring Blaines offer, and after he got a whack in the stomach, Blaine finally let his son slide down. He watched with one raised brow as Archer ran over to a bare spot between a bush and a few flowers, and he flung his hands up and spastically moved. "I dont want a bath! Im going to dance!"

Smirking at his baby, who he had yet to understand, Blaine felt Kurts hand brush over his back, and he turned his head to see his husbands crinkled eyes and grinning mouth. "You might as well let him dance. Even if you get him in the bath, hell never let you finish washing him." Blaine realized that Kurt was right about the fussy baby, who, if he wasnt in the mood for a bath, would often push his hands away right as he was about to rinse the soapy bubbles away, and then lurch out of the bath and streak naked through the house. Although this had happened more than once, Blaine was still hopeful that maybe if he locked the door, Archer wouldnt be able to escape, but, with Archer, if there was a will, there was a way. His husbands soft voice got closer to his ear, his lips pressing against the shell, "But I dont want to smell musty. It is certainly not a pretty scent! And I wont have you in bed tonight if you do."

Blaine smiled at the huskiness in Kurts tone, and he tilted his head to the side and kissed his husband on the corner of his lips. "You wouldnt make me sleep on the couch, you brat."

Kurt teasingly pecked Blaines cheek, and then he peeled away from him, "You could sleep in Archers bed and share your boyish muskiness together... but Im going inside to bathe and wash my dress. Hopefully I can save both myself and my clothes with a few spritzes of my new perfume."

"New perfume?" He said, finally turning toward Kurt as his husband swished away from him. "Wait, Kurt!" Twisting back around to face Archer and Keegan, the first still caught up in his dancing and the second warning the first not to trample any flowers, he thought about telling them that he and Kurt were going back inside, but then he realized that neither of them were paying any attention. He hurried after his husband, who laughed when he took his hand, and the two of them walked back to the house, Kurt sulking over his clothes which he knew would never be as pristine as they were in his closet that morning-not that many of his clothes still looked like they did when he bought them. With having a baby came spit up baby food, and muddy, grabby hands, and bath times in which the rubber ducky suddenly had the urge to dive in and out of the water, making big waves that ended up on the floor, the walls, and, unfortunately, Kurt and his pretty clothes. He needed to start wearing Blaines old shirts-not the new ones that Kurt bought for him, but the ones from when he was fourteen or fifteen years old and already had rips, tears, and mud all over them.

But, while Kurt tragically frowned, a frown that Blaine couldnt wait to kiss away, he stared at his husband with a smile on his lips. Had Kurt seen his grin during his time of mourning, he would have gotten squabbled at that stained clothing was nothing to smile about. But Blaine still smiled, just because he couldnt frown. He had everything in the world, and nothing could take that away... except one of the few people who Blaine still loved. Blaine remembered when his brother once told him that he would do anything to make Blaine happy, and he hoped his brother still remembered his own words, too.