The fire had begun to spread. Kurt was still holding the original ball of flame in one hand, and he walked calmly over to a stunned Blaine and took his hand with the other.

"We should leave before this entire place, whatever it is, burns to the ground."

"Couldn't...couldn't you stop it?" Blaine asked.

"I could," Kurt agreed simply, leading Blaine out of the room.

Kurt's eyes were still full of blue fire. Blaine watched him silently as they walked.

No one stopped them as they wandered down the long hallway outside of the room. They were clearly in a mid-sized house of some sort, probably belonging to a common family and commandeered by Dronyen.

Blaine pulled Kurt to a stop.

"Kurt, no. This is someone's home. It could be all they have. We can't just let it burn."

Kurt didn't meet his eyes. "That someone let Dronyen use it to torture us. They probably knew exactly what he was doing, and offered up their home as a service."

"Kurt," Blaine said quietly. "Please look at me."

Kurt looked at him, eyes blinding. Blaine refused to flinch.

"This is what I am, Blaine. Do you really expect any sort of mercy from me right now?"

"Yes," Blaine said softly. "And you shouldn't feel bad about what you did to Dronyen. He would never have stopped coming after us if you had let him live."

Kurt snorted. "I'm not a human being, Blaine. Do you really think I feel the least bit-"

"Yes. I do. You're not a monster, Kurt. You're one of the most compassionate people I've ever met. Do you honestly think you won't feel terrible if you let this house burn? You won't even eat animal flesh. And the way you care about the horses..."

Kurt averted his gaze again. "Horses aren't humans, Blaine."

"No," Blaine said softly, "but I am. And...well, what if this were my home? With my children living in it? Or what if I were a servant here?"

Kurt turned back toward Blaine, the fire fading from his eyes. His lower lip was trembling.

"Blaine, you don't understand," he whispered. "With Dronyen, I...I enjoyed it. I had to make myself kill him just to stop myself from torturing him. I'm...I'm..."

"You're nothing like him."

"But what if I am? What if that's what he did to me? He didn't break me, he just poisoned me and...turned me into someone like him?"

"He didn't. You are nothing like him. I wouldn't love you if you were, and that hasn't changed. Kurt, stop the fire. Let's leave this place and find somewhere safe and then we can talk, all right?"

Kurt sighed and nodded. They walked back toward the room, and Kurt seemed to do no more than look into it before the flames stopped completely, simply winking out of existence in an single instant.

The room itself was in fairly poor repair; much of the floor and walls were charred black, and the bed linens and curtains on the windows had been reduced to singed shreds. There was also a very unpleasant-looking mound of what had clearly once been Dronyen between the bed and the far wall.

Kurt turned to Blaine, guilt rising in his eyes. Blaine kissed him.

"Let's go," Blaine said gently, and they proceeded to look for a way out of the house.

They didn't encounter anyone else until they walked out the front door, hand in hand, Kurt still clutching the ball of fire.

As they stepped out into a peach-colored sunset, Blaine's eyes widened, and he grabbed Kurt and pulled him down just in time to miss an iron chain swinging wildly in their direction.

Kurt looked up, eyes once again alight, and melted the chain in mid-air. A yelp of pain rang out from whomever had been holding it.

A smattering of Dronyen's guards stood pensively in the yard in front of them, holding an assortment of weapons.

And even through the blue fire, Blaine could tell that Kurt looked tired.

Blaine looked across at all of them, and let his voice ring out loud and clear.

"Prince Dronyen is dead. I understand your desire to avenge him, but if you try you will be killed."

"This man," Blaine continued, motioning to Kurt, "has destroyed all of His Majesty's best men, as well as the Prince himself. We are offering you exactly one opportunity to go. Go and tell King Drayez that his son is dead and we are responsible. Let him send more men after us if he will. But at least some of you have to live to carry the message, and any that don't will die tonight."

Blaine tried to catch the eye of every man he could manage. "You have five minutes to leave or you have five minutes to live. It is your choice."

He saw the men exchange looks. Part of their oath was to defend their prince to the death, but clearly that point had passed. Slowly, one by one, they departed, until only two remained.

"I am not a coward, to run cringing from a glorified peasant and a slave!" Yelled one, sword aloft.

"Nor I," called the other.

Kurt looked like he was going to cry.

"Kurt, can you get their swords away from them?" Blaine asked.

The swords abruptly flew from both men's hands, landing at Blaine's feet. He picked one up, and walked over to one of the men.

"Go," he said softly, pressing the point of the sword to the man's chest.

The man swerved to the side, then crouched and lunged at Blaine's legs in one smooth motion. Blaine allowed the man to take him down to the ground before wrenching his legs free and kicking him in the face. The man fell onto his back, and Blaine scrambled over to him, kneeling above him and placing a knee on his ribcage.

He only hesitated for the barest second before plunging the sword into the man's heart.

He pulled the sword out and swiveled around, ducking just in time to avoid the second man's lunge. The man stumbled a bit, and Blaine took the opportunity to pull the sword out of the first man's heart, thrusting forward as he sprang to his feet, the sword buried in the second man's throat.

The man spasmed, making horrible gargling and choking sounds, before finally falling beside his dead comrade.

Blaine threw the sword to the ground and walked back to Kurt, who was watching him with wide eyes.

"Now we've both killed today," Blaine said. "Shall we see if we can find our horses?"

Kurt simply nodded, and Blaine picked up the second, non-bloody sword from beside his feet. He had lost his own sword, and it would definitely be helpful to have one around.

They found the stables, and were pleased and surprised to find that their captors had indeed brought both their carriage and horses to the house. Kurt used the fire in his hand to light the headlamps, as it was close to full dark, and they prepared the horses in silence.

Blaine looked up at the sky, trying to get oriented. "So, that direction should be west...and I think we were going slightly northwest last I knew, but I'm not sure where we are right now, so..."

Kurt pointed. "That way. Home is that way."

Blaine looked at him. "How can you tell?"

Kurt smiled, and threw the fireball up into the air, the flames fanning out spectacularly before winking out of existence. "Because I can feel it."

They rode for a few hours before finding a well-secluded clearing in which to make camp. Though Drayez would most likely send men after them before long, it was unlikely that they faced any immediate danger. Drayez kept a far cooler head than Dronyen, and he would be well aware of the extent of Kurt's power and the danger it posed.

Blaine lay in the tent, eyes open, staring at the fabric ceiling above him. Kurt had been very quiet along this leg of the journey, and had curled up on the far side of the tent from Blaine. Blaine felt a tug at his heart, and he didn't want to think about what it meant.

They were getting close to Faerie country, after all. And before long, they would have to have the conversation they had been avoiding since the subject of Khryslee had first arisen.

Blaine heard a soft rustling beside him, and his heart melted as Kurt slipped into his arms, kissing his cheek and, when Blaine turned to face him, his lips.

"Blaine, thank you," Kurt whispered.

"For what?"

"For saving me from myself. For seeing what was happening inside of me when I couldn't even see it myself."

Blaine was going to deflect, and say he hadn't done that at all, but Kurt sounded so earnest, and what he was saying was true.

"You're welcome."

Kurt lay his head on Blaine's chest, stroking his clothed abdomen slowly.

"I'm sorry I was so...withdrawn after we left. I just needed some time to think."

"I understand. But I was afraid...I was afraid I was losing you."

Kurt lifted his head to kiss him again, slow and soft. "No," he said. "You're not losing me."

Not yet, Blaine thought, hating the fact that he couldn't push it away and just enjoy being with Kurt, and holding him.

Kurt settled his head back on Blaine's chest. "I don't enjoy killing, Blaine. Not really."

"I know that."

"I just...it scares me sometimes. I haven't been able to properly express my anger in years, and I haven't been able to use my power in years, and then the two just rise up together and I don't feel like I have enough control, and I...I can't stand my own cruelty."

"Kurt, you had to kill-"

"I know, Blaine, but I didn't have to enjoy it."

"Kurt, after what those men have put you through, it's only hu-" Blaine stopped himself.

Kurt laughed. "You were going to say it's only human, weren't you?"

Blaine laughed too. "Yeah. Sorry. What I meant was, I think it's only natural to feel some relief, and probably even enjoyment, in destroying those that have spent so much time and energy trying to destroy you. But it isn't who you are. And you will get your control back. You haven't even had your power back a month. And...in the meantime...I can be kind of like your anchor, Kurt, if it gets too intense. If...if you want me to be."

Blaine blushed at his own statement. Kurt gave him a squeeze.

"You already are," he said.

Blaine smiled so hard, he could have melted the sun without even trying.

Kurt snaked his hand under Blaine's tunic, and began playing idly with his chest hair.

"Those last two men, Blaine, I..."

"I know."

"I just couldn't do it any more. The violence, it was just..."

"I know," Blaine said, running his hand up and down Kurt's back.

They lay in silence for a few moments, hands continuing to gently soothe one another's bodies.

Kurt sighed happily, snuggling closer to Blaine. "I really like your chest hair," he said.

Blaine laughed. "That was a rather extreme change in topic."

He felt Kurt smile against him. "It's just something I've been meaning to mention. Earlier didn't seem like the best time. Sidhe men have very little body hair, and there's something just so...sexy (Blaine could almost feel Kurt blush when he used the word) about how different it is."

"Mmmm," Blaine replied, slipping his hand under Kurt's tunic and sliding it up his bare back, "I feel the same way about your skin."

Kurt sat up slightly, moving to kiss Blaine's ear. "I like your ears too. They're so cute and round."

Blaine leaned over to kiss Kurt's ear as well. "I love your ears," he whispered. "They drive me wild." He took the tip of Kurt's ear into his mouth and sucked gently. Kurt moaned.

"Blaine? How tired are you?"

"If you're asking for the reason I hope you're asking for, not tired at all."

Kurt gently pulled away from Blaine, and began crawling toward the entrance to the tent.

"Get undressed," Kurt said. "I'll be right back."

When Kurt returned to the tent a few moments later holding two large red flowers with spiral tips, he paused in the entryway. Blaine was lying on top of the blankets, eyes closed, naked and stretched out. His arms were bent, his hands were underneath his head, and a soft beam of moonlight fell across him from the open flap of the entryway.

He was simply stunning.

He opened his eyes and smiled up at Kurt. "What are you doing?" He asked softly.

"Just looking at you." Kurt sighed, and though he was smiling too, it was tinged slightly with sadness.

Kurt joined Blaine on the blankets, undressing himself along the way. They pressed their bodies together, savoring the differences in build, texture and scent, letting their hands roam freely.

Kurt unfurled the tip of one of the flowers, and dribbled a bit on his tongue. Before Blaine could so much as form a full smile, Kurt's head was between his legs and he had taken him in his mouth.

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut against the forceful wave of pleasure that shot through him. Kurt began to move up and down Blaine's shaft, his long, slender tongue winding around him with far too much talent for Blaine to bear.

"Oh, God, Kurt," he managed to choke, lacing his fingers through Kurt's silky hair.

Kurt continued to do amazing things with his mouth, one of his hands cupping Blaine's testicles and squeezing gently. He then let his hand wander backward, very tentatively, brushing lightly between Blaine's cheeks.

Correctly reading Kurt's hesitation, Blaine spread his thighs. "G-go ahead, Kurt, if you want to," he gasped.

Kurt dipped his fingers into the flower and let them trail slowly from behind Blaine's testicles to his entrance, grazing across it lightly and then trailing his fingertips back to massage it with added pressure.

Blaine gave a small scream of pleasure, writhing at the feel of Kurt's graceful fingers, intensified by the oil.

"Kurt...I'm close...I..."

Kurt pulled both his mouth and hand away, and looked at Blaine nervously.

"Blaine, do you think I could try...I mean, would it be all right if..." his eyes darted down to Blaine's oil-slicked ass.

Blaine smiled. "I would love that, Kurt," he said.

"It's just that I've never...I don't want to make a mistake, or hurt you."

"Just follow your instincts, Kurt. I'll help talk you through it."

Kurt bent his fingers to that they were completely submerged in the liquid inside the flower, then lifted them and moved them to Blaine's entrance. The oil was dripping everywhere, little patches of tingling sensation blooming all across their flesh where it landed.

Kurt eased a finger inside of Blaine, and Blaine threw his head back and whimpered.

"All right, so j-just hold it still for a minute, Kurt, it's b-been awhile," he breathed.

Kurt did as Blaine asked, using his free hand to stroke the insides of Blaine's thighs until they were gleaming with oil.

Letting out a breathy moan at the magnified feel of Kurt's soft skin against his inner thighs, Blaine attempted speech once again.

"Y-you can start to m-move it a bit, now. S-sort of in and out and a-around and...oh, yeah, Kurt, j-just like that, that f-feels so good..."

Kurt watched in fascination as Blaine's eyes rolled back in his head and he writhed beneath him.

"Y-you can add an-nother one now..."

Kurt did, surprised at how good it felt just to have his fingers inside Blaine. He moved them in the way it seemed like Blaine had for him, slowly stretching.

"Blaine, how do I find that spot that feels so nice?"

Blaine was panting. He swallowed hard, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if only remembering how to speak with each individual word and instantly forgetting afterward. "C-crook your f-fingers to the f-front a bit, and sort of f-feel it out...you'll find th-this little – KURT! NNGGHH! OH...OH..."

Kurt gasped at the sheer magnitude of Blaine's reaction. Well, he'd found it. That much was clear.

Blaine was bucking against him, giving cries of pleasure, and Kurt was finding himself so turned on that he could barely even see.

"Blaine, do you feel ready for me to-"

"Yes! Please! Now!"

Kurt drizzled himself with oil from the flower, coating himself evenly with a few strokes. He positioned himself in front of Blaine, and slowly pushed into Blaine's tight heat.

Kurt gave a whimper at the sheer impact of pleasure that seized his body when he slid inside of Blaine. Blaine wrapped his legs around Kurt's waist, pulling himself closer to get better leverage. Kurt sank down on his knees a bit more, pulling Blaine so that his lower back was resting on Kurt's thighs.

When Kurt leaned forward to kiss Blaine, they both moaned deeply at the involuntary thrust the movement created, burying Kurt even more deeply inside of Blaine.

"You feel so incredible," Kurt whispered against Blaine's lips.

"So do you," answered Blaine. "I never want you to stop being inside of me."

Kurt kissed him again, and then moved back up, so he was leaning over Blaine. He held Blaine's hips and began to thrust slowly, shivering and moaning as his body tried to process the sheer volume of pleasure Blaine's body was giving him.

And Blaine was overwhelmed by it too – surely part of it was that magical flower and all it offered, but Blaine was sure he'd never been with a man who's body simply seemed to fit so perfectly inside of his before. He felt like he'd been born for Kurt to make love to him. Kurt may never have done this before, but he was certainly a quick study – sliding over "that spot that feels so nice", pulling almost completely out before sliding back in to the hilt, his pace building steadily and his thrusts getting harder all the time.

Kurt wasn't thinking. He had simply let his body take over, and it seemed to know exactly what to do. He didn't even realize how much harder he was thrusting and how much faster he was moving, but he did realize how much more loudly Blaine was wailing and how much more fiercely he was writhing.

He also realized that his eyes had squeezed shut, and he forced them open, unable to believe that he was giving up a chance to watch this gorgeous naked man completely unravel beneath him. He noticed that Blaine was reaching for the flower, and Kurt stilled his hips momentarily and beat him to it, snatching up the flower and drizzling Blaine's cock. Kurt began stroking Blaine as he resumed pumping into his body, trying to do both in perfect rhythm, but having to settle for a slightly erratic one.

The erratic rhythm seemed just fine with Blaine.

Blaine had begun chanting Kurt's name raggedly, his eyes glazed over, looking like he was in a trance. His chest and forehead glistened with sweat. Kurt felt drunk on the sight and the feel of Blaine clenched around him. He began to pump Blaine faster with his hand, feeling Blaine start to tense beneath him, until Blaine threw his head back and screamed, coming spectacularly across his chest and stomach.

And when Blaine came, his muscles clenched around Kurt while he watched it happen, and it was the best thing that Kurt had ever felt or seen in his life, and he came too, calling out Blaine's name, desperately fighting back the urge to scream I Love You.

Kurt collapsed onto Blaine, both of them panting, their bodies a mess of sweat and skin and oil and come.

"I love you," Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear, because he could. Because he was brave. Because he had nothing to lose by saying it.

Kurt managed not to cry.

And instead of answering Blaine, he reacted in his usual way. He kissed him.

"Come on," Kurt said. "Let's wash."

"How? There's nothing to bathe in here." The clearing they'd found had no creek or pond of any sort.

Kurt kissed Blaine on the nose. "Have you forgotten who you're here with? Come on."

He eased himself out of Blaine's body, rose unsteadily to his knees, and crawled over to his satchel, pulling out a cake of soap. He then helped Blaine to his feet and led him outside. They walked to the middle of the clearing, naked under the open sky.

Blaine felt a warm drop on his shoulder and, startled, looked up.

It was raining, but only on them. Kurt had produced a slender column of warm rain around them, rinsing them clean. They washed each other and then walked back to the tent, drying themselves halfheartedly with clean cloths before collapsing back onto their decidedly less clean nest of blankets.

"We should really wash some of our things tomorrow," Blaine murmured, fingers twining through Kurt's damp hair.

"Mmmm," Kurt agreed. "But let's take them to a washerwoman, shall we? I'm sick of hand-washing, and we should be arriving at the first of the border towns tomorrow."

There was an undeniable air of excitement in the last part of his statement.

The border towns.

Blaine felt his stomach clench.

Kurt sighed and held Blaine tight, pressing one last kiss to his chest before drifting off to sleep.

Blaine stared at the fabric ceiling of the tent.

And he barely slept at all.