It was a scary ride on the helicopter, the wind was blowing hard and it felt like they were being whipped around like a piece of paper. Blaine was holding Kurt tightly, but it wasn't as close as they wanted given they were strapped to their seats. The pilot came down several times before he was able to actually land the aircraft, and the passengers unbuckled and were ready to disembark a few minutes later.

Cookie had walked to the helipad not far from the cook house and put his huge arms up to take Kurt from Blaine's hold on him. Finally on the ground, Kurt thanked Cookie and heaved a sigh of relief then turned to make sure Blaine was okay.

Blaine jumped from the helicopter, grinning as he landed on the dirt and rolled into a standing position, bowing as if he was a circus performer. He helped the pilot to tie the 'copter down and then he and Kurt hurried off to the shelter of the cook house.

"I have some lunch set aside for you punkins," Shannon smiled, setting down two plates of food and coming back again with glasses of milk.

"How have you been?" Blaine asked, grinning up at his old friend.

"Oh, fair to middlin" she allowed. "How was the trip? Your dad okay now, Kurt?"

"Yes, it was a bit of a false alarm. We took the extra time to go see the house in Philomath and order the furniture for next fall," Kurt said.

"I'm just glad to be back on home turf, to tell you the truth," Blaine said. He looked tired, but had a sweet smile on his face.

Shannon's pocket was moving, and she adjusted her apron so the pocket was closer to her lap, giving it more stability. Pretty soon a tiny face was seen, peering over the edge of the pocket. JayJay was sniffing and Shannon took him out of her pocket to hand to Blaine. She nodded at a plate with apples in the middle of the table and took one, cutting a small wedge and peeling it, then cutting it in tiny pieces. Blaine was happy to take the little flying squirrel out of her hands and cuddle him. Kurt took a piece of the apple and held it in front of JayJay and tiny paws came up to grab it and the tiny animal began chewing the apple. Kurt reached over to smooth the fur along his back.

"Oh, he looks so cute!" Kurt said, winking at Shannon. "Looks like he hasn't missed any meals, either. Boy, he's growing fast."

The boys played with him for a bit, then started to get up to walk back to the cabin, but Shannon held out her hands.

"Can he stay here for a while? I brought his cage up here when you left, and we've gotten to be good friends," she pleaded.

"Sure, that's fine. Maybe we'll come visit in the morning," Blaine said.

"Okay, I'll see you then. I was going to make cinnamon rolls if you want to eat here," she offered and both boys accepted the kind invitation.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Blaine and Kurt had taken all the bags and luggage back to the cabin, including a paper sack that Blaine had stapled shut and kept an eye on all through the trip home. He wouldn't allow Kurt to touch it, which just made Kurt's curiosity peak. There had been begging and denial all the way home and Kurt was determined to find out Blaine's secret.

Once home, they piled all the things in the tiny cabin and started setting them away where they belonged. Clothes were folded and set in trunks, personal items put away, and the mysterious paper sack was hidden away in the kitchen cupboard when Blaine thought Kurt wasn't looking.

It had been a long flight and both of the boys were tired, so they decided to take a short nap before thinking about what to have for dinner.

"Hey, you," Kurt called, watching Blaine removing his jacket and hanging it up.

He turned to see what Kurt wanted and was met with a naked boyfriend, lying on the feather bed.

"How did you get undressed so quickly?" Blaine asked as he hurried over, unbuttoning his shirt to catch up. Kurt just laughed and rolled over on his tummy, is legs bent at the knees and feet in the air in a carefree pose as he leaned his chin on his hands.

Blaine was undressed and dragging Kurt under the sheets in a matter of moments, his arms around his boyfriend in a tight embrace.

"All I could think of on the way home was getting you under these sheets so I could have you all to myself, baby," Kurt cooed at Blaine, planting a kiss on his nose.

Blaine smiled. He'd had the same dream and now he had the reality.

"Okay, baby, let's just hold each other for a while. I want to feel you next to me," Blaine said, snuggling closer. Kurt was all for any kind of cuddling if it included Blaine, so he put his arms around his boyfriend and kissed him very softly on the lips. It was still amazing to him that Blaine, who never did one ounce of preventative moisturizing or any other kind of skin care other than washing, always had soft lips. Kurt had to struggle to maintain his soft skin. Some things in life were just not fair, but since Kurt was actually the beneficiary of Blaine's soft skin, he wasn't complaining.

Blaine started off just cuddling. It was his sole intention when he got into bed and pulled Kurt close. It was, really! But things happen, and quite soon his fingers were walking down Kurt's muscular back to trace patterns along Kurt's waist. These random patterns began to grow larger, moving past Kurt's waist and onto his hip, trailing down to the top of his thigh. It was all Kurt could do not to giggle. He knew Blaine well enough to know he would never be able to limit himself to just cuddling when there was so much uncovered skin involved.

"Ah, Blaine?" Kurt smirked, burying his face in Blaine's neck so he couldn't see the corners of Kurt's mouth turning up in a grin.

"What, baby?" Blaine pretended to be sleepy, as if his fingers had a mind of their own and were off doing things he was unaware of. Kurt was not fooled.

"Ah...what are you doing with your fingers? I thought we were cuddling?" Kurt asked.

"Ah..oh...well...oh? I didn't realize I was doing that, I was almost asleep. Now, quit pestering me. I'm tired," Blaine said, trying for innocence.

"Blaine Devon Anderson. Are you serious? Do you actually expect me to believe that?" Kurt laughed out loud.

"Hey, now. How do you know that isn't true?" Blaine asked, looking hurt. His lower lip stuck out like a pouting child and Kurt took the opportunity to kiss Blaine, sucking that pouting lip into his own mouth and capture it between his teeth. Blaine gasped just a little.

Instead of answering Kurt verbally, he brought his hips forward, thrusting towards Kurt and getting a very rewarding gasp in return. Kurt's eyes got big, apparently he did not realize the extent of Blaine's sincerity.

"I'm actually pretty sure that 'sleepy' is not an adjective that pertains to your present state, Mr. Anderson," Kurt said, trying not to giggle like a little girl. He did not succeed.

Blaine thrust his hips forward again and Kurt turned a bit to bring himself into contact with Blaine. Their erections were rubbing closely together and both boys were losing their ability to think up witty jokes to tease each other. The desire to be funny was quickly going out the window and Kurt rushed forward to place his lips on Blaine's and kiss him some more. They kissed for quite some time, until their lips were swollen and red. They continued to rub their skin together, but gently as they felt the tingling of promise the contact held. Neither one of them was in any hurry and the slow building of excitement was so often better in the long run than immediate, hurried frenzy. Of course, there was nothing wrong with frenzy once in a while, and Kurt and Blaine had their share of that, too.

Kurt was kissing down Blaine's neck, licking softly at the part that was so sensitive and caused chills to spring all the way down Blaine's back and arms. He would lick a wide swipe across the tender flesh, then blow on it, just to see Blaine scrunch up his neck and the goosebumps appear.

"Owww...Kurt, stop it...don't...stop," Blaine whined.

"Are you saying 'stop it, don't do that' or are you saying, 'don't stop it...'?" Kurt asked, grinning.

"Ah...both?" Blaine blushed. He was feeling silly, and part of him was enjoying the ticklish attention Kurt was lavishing on him, but part of him didn't want to be tickled when there were so many other things to do now that they were alone.

Kurt laughed. "Well, if you don't know, I can stop for now but come back to it later...maybe on another part of your anatomy?" he said suggestively. Blaine leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"So, since we're not doing the whole kissing thing anymore...what's in the secret paper bag you brought home? You took care of it like it was your newborn baby, so I'm a bit curious. What is in the bag?" Kurt begged in a whine. Blaine rolled his eyes.

"I'm not telling, and if I catch you anywhere near that cupboard, I swear...I'll....I'll...I'll SPANK YOU!" Blaine said, then looked at Kurt, as surprised as Kurt was at what he had said.

Kurt just stared, turned white, then red.

"Blaine. You will not. You would never do that! And besides, you couldn't catch me – or hold me down long enough to do such a thing," Kurt said.

"Oh, yes I can. But we'll never know because you would never go and look after I asked you not to," Blaine returned.

"Well that might have been true before you threatened me, but now all bets are off. I feel no reason to stop my curiosity if you are going to issue threats, Mr. Anderson," Kurt said with as much dignity as a naked person can conjure while lying in bed with their tormentor's arms wrapped around them.

Blaine started to laugh, and Kurt got up. He was limping still on the bad knee, but walked over as if to get a glass of water.

"Can I get you some water, Blaine?" he asked.

"Please," Blaine answered, looking out the window at the waning afternoon sun.

Kurt got the water bottles out, but since Blaine was preoccupied, he sidled over to the mysterious cupboard. He wasn't actually going to look at the bag, just open the cupboard to tease Blaine. He put his fingers on the handle and began to open the cupboard when Blaine turned and saw him.

"Kurt! How dare you!" he shouted and jumped from the bed, grabbing Kurt around the waist and picking him up. He hauled him over to the settee and sat down, Kurt on his lap.

Kurt thought it was a joke, and to be fair, Blaine did, too. However, Blaine was much stronger than Kurt in the arms and upper chest since he had been training to be a boxer for so many years, and he didn't realize his own strength. He pulled Kurt over his lap, bottom up and pulled back his arm. He spanked the struggling Kurt on his perfect pink ass, leaving bright red handprints.

"I told you not to look in the bag, Kurt. I warned you..." Blaine said, kidding his friend. Kurt struggled, but to no avail and Blaine spanked him several times before giving up and letting go.

Kurt jumped back, scratching and clawing, and his voice had gone down to a low growl.

"You might find that funny, Blaine...but I do not," Kurt snapped. He walked as well as he could over to the bed where he'd left his clothes and pulled on his jeans, shirt, and shoes. He grabbed his jacket before Blaine realized what was going on.

"Oh...no, Kurt, I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you, are you okay?" Blaine asked, desperate to make it right. "Wait a minute...we can talk about this, can't we? I just made a stupid move...Really, I was just kidding around!"

Kurt grabbed his cane and walked out of the cabin, slamming the door. He had done this before – the day he found out Blaine had hidden the truth about his dad. That day had been one of the worst of his life when Porter and Chase had locked him in that shed and tried to get the bounty from turning him in. Blaine had rescued him that day and he had been so grateful. Here he was again, but this time everyone in camp knew him and he was there at Mr. Warner's approval, so he was safe. He was also angry and embarrassed. How could Blaine have done that humiliating thing to him? His ass was burning where Blaine had hit him. He leaned heavily on the cane, he hadn't wanted to stop and put the brace on, but now he really wished he had. His leg hurt, his ass hurt...and he wondered if his injury had opened up again since he thought he could feel something wet going down the inside of his leg.

Blaine was scrambling to get his clothes on, scared that Kurt would never forgive him. He had just been kidding and now he was in deep trouble. Kurt had been angry at him before, over things that made no sense to Blaine, but he knew Kurt had a volatile temper and he was usually so careful. He forgot sometimes how strong he was and it was unfair of him to take advantage of Kurt in terms of using brute strength. He had to go find Kurt. Now.

~*~*~*~*~*~**~~*

Kurt was tired. Whenever they left the cabin, they headed south towards the places where they either fished or snared rabbits. Or they headed east towards the cook house. To the west was the river and he had no idea what was north of the cabin, he'd never been there. So.. north it was. He walked along the path for a while, but it was hard going. It looked like nobody had walked here for a long time. He made slow progress, and was cursing Blaine for making him so angry. Then he was cursing himself an hour later when his leg hurt so badly he had to stop. He had been exercising the leg, and it had improved an amazing amount considering how extensive the damage was. This was a pleasant thought if Kurt were sitting on the settee, calmly considering it while drinking a cup of hot tea and eating cinnamon rolls. But he wasn't. Kurt was struggling to put one foot in front of the other as he walked down a strange path in the middle of the Oregon wilderness, chilled and hungry and his leg throbbing in pain with each step, and it had started to rain. Kurt hadn't been in Oregon for a whole year yet, but he was very well acquainted with the rain. It rained all the time. He had on a weatherproof jacket, but his pants and shoes were wet. The rain was drizzling down his neck and into his shirt. It wasn't terribly cold, but when he got wet, Kurt got cold. And miserable.

He saw a boulder and hurried to it to sit down and take some pressure off of the leg. The rock was cold and hard, but it felt good to get the weight off the sore knee. Kurt decided to be still for a while and just think about all the stupidness of this day. He got angry when Blaine had only been doing exactly what he said he would....spank Kurt if he tried to get in the cupboard. Kurt had gone over and was quite obviously opening the cupboard, just to make a joke. That was the problem right there, they did not make sure first that both of them were kidding, a total lack of communication. Kurt sighed. As soon as he felt a bit rested, he would start back.

Half an hour later, Kurt was rested enough to start back. He looked around and although he felt a bit disoriented, he started walking the way he had come, even though most of the forest had gone back to its pristine condition when Kurt passed through it. He was a bit unsure of which way to go, and the dense forest gave him no opportunity to look at the sun to see which direction he was headed.

It was getting dark once again, Kurt was lost in the forest because of his own stupidity and bad temper. He was only wearing his light jacket and he was getting chilly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Blaine was feeling terrible. He really felt it was his fault that Kurt was gone. He had meant it all in fun, but maybe he'd been too rough. Kurt hadn't been brought up in the camp and sometimes Blaine thought of Kurt as being like a hothouse flower, delicate and fragile. Of course, Kurt was much tougher than that, considering the awful things he had endured, but Blaine wasn't thinking of those right now. All he knew was that he was positive Kurt would not go to the cook house to share his humiliation with Cookie and Shannon, or Lenore for that matter. He had gone down the trail to the rabbit snares last fall when he ran, so Blaine thought he probably wouldn't go there. And north was not a place Kurt had ever been, so it was also less likely. Okay, that left west toward the river.

Blaine, dressed for the weather and carrying a bag with essentials in it, started towards the river. He always carried an emergency kit with a space blanket, a change of clothes, venison jerky, matches, fuel in the form of sterno cakes, among other things. They had taken this same backpack on a picnic last week so there was a tube of silicon lubricant, just in case. It was deep in the canyon and he was pretty sure Kurt would not try to cross it. He was angry, not insane. But he might walk down it, so that was the direction he went.

After calling Kurt's name for a long time, he gave that up. Kurt might just become silent at the sound of his name because he was angry and might not want to be found yet. Blaine shut his mouth and just walked, looking for any sign of his boyfriend. No, his fiancé. That brought a tear to his eye, but it didn't make it down his cheek.

He didn't find any prints or anything for a long time, then he saw the last thing he wanted to see: blood. And the realization hit him: what if in his exuberance to spank Kurt, he burst open the injury that was healing. Didn't Kurt say the doctor had warned him about keeping safe since the damned thing could split open again so easily? And Blaine had struck him. He sank to the dirt and closed his eyes. Was there no end to the damage he would cause Kurt? First, he lied about Burt knowing about the train and all that. He let him get caught by Porter and Chase. The accident with the kite at the beach – from which Kurt was still healing. The man, Hank, that tried to seduce Kurt when he was drunk because Blaine had not been able to go with Kurt to Seattle to begin with, and now this. Blaine was a menace to Kurt's well-being and when he found him, he would get him back to Ohio and his family and Blaine would just disappear from his life.

There was nothing else, no more blood spots, no footprints, nothing. Blaine didn't have that foreboding feeling, but he could not rule out Kurt landing in the river and drowning for any number of reasons. This was too much to bear.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey, who's there?" A voice called into the forest from the porch of a cabin. Kurt stopped for a second, studying why this man's voice might be familiar. He couldn't place it, but walked forward when the vague memory failed to come up with any animosity. Kurt was dizzy and hurting and soaked to the skin in the cool evening air. He shivered and thought for a moment before answering the question he'd heard from the vicinity of the porch.

"That depends, who's asking?" Kurt asked.

"August Waverly. I work for Warner Lumber and you're on private property. I can steer you back to where you came from if you'd like, but you're not welcome here," the voice said.

"That's too bad, Auggie, because I could sure use some help," Kurt said, his voice going higher as his fear lessened.

"Kurt? Kurt Hummel? What the hell are you doing here?" August asked, walking quickly into the forest to guide Kurt the last hundred yards into the clearing around his cabin.

"Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes, August. I am so glad to see you!" Kurt said as he fell into the big man's embrace.

"Kurt, are you okay?" August asked as Kurt went limp in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~

"Where am I?" Kurt asked, trying to look around the tiny cabin and trying to establish where he was. At first he thought he was back in Blaine's cabin, but the bed was all wrong and the fireplace was on the wrong wall. He was cold and achy all over, but there was a warm blanket wrapped around him and he didn't feel too bad.

"You, my friend, are in my cabin taking up space and snoring like a boxer puppy," Auggie said from the table across the small, dim room.

"Oh? How did I get here? The last thing I remember, I was walking through the forest, trying to find a place to see the sunset so I'd know what direction I was headed," Kurt answered.

"Well, you stumbled into my yard and said you needed help and promptly fainted. Wanna tell me what's up?" he asked.

"No. Well, Blaine and I had an argument, but it was over something stupid. I lost my temper and started walking, didn't put my leg brace on, and now I feel awful. I don't know why I fainted, just stress, I guess. Is it okay if I stay with you until morning, Auggie?" Kurt asked, shivering in spite of the fact that it was the middle of summer. The weather wasn't too bad, but at this altitude it got cold at night and Kurt had been soaking wet for hours.

Just as he got up and walked to the bench where August was sitting, there was a knock at the door.

August went to answer, thinking to himself that his little out of the way cabin was turning into Grand Central Station of the forest. He opened the door and wasn't the least bit surprised to see Blaine standing there.

"Hey, August. I was just looking..." Blaine started, but August interrupted him.

"He's here. Wait a second..." and he gently pushed Blaine back as he left the cabin and pulled the door shut behind himself. They stood on the porch, the rain coming down steadily but they were dry under the roof of the porch.

"Is he okay?" Blaine asked, clearly upset.

"Yeah, I think so for now. What the hell happened, kid? I was sitting out here, just relaxing and watching the rain when I saw somebody walking, I thought they were drunk the way they were stumbling. I mean, really unsteady. I called out to say this was private property, but it was Kurt and he sounded...lost? Anyway, he said he needed help, I went to see and he passed out in my arms. He's been asleep for over an hour, then wakes up to tell me you two were fighting," August summed up the evening.

"Oh. Well, yes, we did have a fight. It was stupid on my behalf.." Blaine admitted, ducking his head as if he was ashamed.

"That is exactly what Kurt said. That it was stupid on his part. I think you two need to talk. I would just let this go, but you two are teenagers and forgive me for saying so, Blaine, but you are both a little....ah...dramatic?" Auggie said.

"You're telling me. Yes, I am aware of that. I came to see if I could talk him into coming home."

"Blaine, take my advice here. That kid is in no shape to traipse back to your cabin in the rain in the night on that bad leg. He isn't wearing his brace and it looks like he fell, probably more than once. I tell you what. I don't think it would do you any good to try and make nice here with three of us in the cabin, so I'll give you two options. Either I can loan you my mule to get back to your cabin or I can ride over there to stay the night and you can stay here with Kurt. Which way do you want to play this?" August smiled an encouraging smile at his friend. He felt sorry for the kid, but this was something he'd have to figure out on his own.

"You sure you don't mind going to my cabin, Auggie?" Blaine asked.

"I don't mind a bit. The rain has let up and I can be there in twenty minutes. I'll be back later tomorrow morning and I'll bring a couple of mules so Kurt won't have to walk. I need to talk to the big boss in the morning, so it might be around noon when I get back. Let me grab my coat and I'll be on my way," the big man said, reaching behind Blaine to snag his heavy coat from a hook on the porch. He smiled at Blaine, then walked off the porch towards the shed where the mule was standing in the doorway, eating hay.

"Thanks, August. I owe you one, man," Blaine said, grateful this might work out. August just nodded and went to get the saddle, patting his mule, Maximus, on the way.

Kurt didn't know who was at the door, but he hoped it wasn't Cooper. He didn't want to have to relate the whole thing to him. He went back to the bed and laid down, pulling the blanket up to his ears and turning his face to the wall.

Blaine opened the door quietly and stepped into the cabin. He had been in this cabin frequently, having known August since he came to work for Mr. Warner a number of years ago. He saw Kurt under the blanket, shivering. There was no evidence of Kurt's wet clothes having been hung up, so he must still be wearing them. Blaine sighed. Kurt didn't have the self-preservation skills he needed some days. Blaine could tell that Kurt wasn't sleeping. He was pretending to, but Blaine had spent every night wrapped in those arms and he knew.

As he watched, a sob wracked Kurt's back and Blaine felt the pain of it in his gut. This was his fault. He looked in his backpack and pulled out the extra thermal underwear he carried there. He was always prepared when he left the cabin and this was just a part of his equipment along with wool socks and a few other things. He walked over to the stove as saw there was a pot of stew – venison if he was correct – and some sourdough rolls.

He removed his outer clothing, and stood in his thermals he'd thrown on when he left his cabin earlier. He walked over to the bed then, and climbed up next to Kurt.

~*~*~*~*~*

Kurt was still pretending to be asleep. He didn't hear more than one person in the room, but he wasn't sure. It would be better if he could just go back to sleep. There was only one bed in the cabin, but he knew most of the lumberjacks shared beds if necessary, so he wasn't too surprised when he felt a body lie down next to him. He stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed, trying to get back to sleep. He was still cold, but there wasn't much he could do about it. When August fell asleep, he might just scoot closer to share some warmth through the blankets.

The body heat was coming through a bit more after a little while and Kurt was grateful. He was still shivering, but it was getting better. He was in and out of sleep for a few minutes when he smelled something. No, it couldn't be. He sniffed and there it was. A sort of spicy vanilla with almost a fresh citrus scent, maybe with spring rain. Well, that was dumb -this was spring and it was raining so of course he smelled that. He closed his eyes once again. But the scent was back, wafting over the bed from a tiny breeze from under the door. This was crazy, had he missed Blaine so much after six or so hours that he was hallucinating? Unheard of. This was nuts, August even breathed like Blaine.

Suddenly, Kurt missed Blaine so much he started to cry. Just quietly to himself. He messed up everything. Would Blaine even listen to him when he came back? Or should he do the brave thing and ask August to help him leave and not pester Blaine anymore. He was so lost in thought, at first he didn't realize the vibrations in the bed weren't all caused by him. But August was sobbing, too? That didn't make sense.

He turned in the bed and his eyes met those of the other person. They were beautiful golden hazel with flecks of mossy green and they were liquid with tears. Blaine sniffed, trying to brush the tears from his cheeks. Kurt pushed his hands away and leaned forward, kissing the tears off of Blaine's cheeks. They didn't say a word to each other as Blaine sat up, helping Kurt to take off the soaked clothing and dry himself on a towel that Blaine found in the dresser.

Blaine removed his own clothing, sliding into the bed next to Kurt and gathering him closely in his arms, kissing his face, his temple, his cheeks and then burying his face in Kurt's neck. He kissed along the joint between the shoulder and neck, down to Kurt's collarbone where he left a small purple bite mark. Kurt moaned at the feeling, at the thought that he really did belong to Blaine, heart and soul. He was so sorry he'd lost his temper, so sorry he'd been a fool once again and he wanted Blaine to forgive him – but he didn't know how to ask.

Blaine continued to kiss the boy he loved, playing with the chain around his neck that held the Orion's Belt etched on the disc. He smiled at the thought of what was hidden in the cupboard back at the cabin.

Kurt was holding Blaine close to his chest, still shivering as Blaine scooted closer and closer, trying to touch Kurt everywhere he could to warm him up. He began rubbing his arms briskly and when that wasn't helpful, he put Kurt's freezing hands between his thighs to try to warm them. He stopped and found the woolen socks and pulled them on Kurt's feet to try and get some warmth back in them.

There still had been no words exchanged between the two, and the silence went on for quite a while as Blaine tried to warm Kurt and Kurt tried to cuddle as close as possible to the warm boy next to him. It was inevitable that with all the closeness and the rubbing and trying to get warm that a different type of fire was kindled. Blaine was kissing Kurt once again, down his neck and onto his chest. He was under the covers, kissing all the long muscles that were Kurt's chest when he kissed his nipple inadvertently. Kurt took in a breath and groaned. Blaine heard it, not just with his ears, but his body heard it and responded. All the blood rushed south as Blaine's dizzy head emptied. He lost no time in doing that again, hoping for the same reaction. He wasn't denied a single thing as Kurt shivered, but this time it was a different kind of shiver and his hips bucked forward a little, his back arching as his body did what his heart demanded and his mind had been thinking.

"Kurt...oh, my baby...my love..." Blaine whispered softly as he kissed Kurt briefly before dipping his head down to lick the other nipple. Kurt's fingers carded through the curls and held on, bringing Blaine's head to stay there for another moment and lick him again.

"Blaine...yes, yes...please, Blaine, please...." Kurt said, but he didn't even know what it was he wanted. Blaine continued to lick and press his lips against the small bit of flesh for a few more moments. Kurt was thrusting against him, and Blaine was coming unglued – not knowing what to say or if it was even necessary. He felt Kurt reaching for his jeans, left folded on the side of the bed. He fumbled in the pocket for a moment and the next thing Blaine knew, there were Kurt's fingers at the small pink pucker between his cheeks. He didn't stop to think, just moved to his back and let Kurt spread his legs, smearing the lubricant across his entrance and drawing concentric circles until Blaine was gasping and bucking back against him.

Kurt took his time, slowly stretching and massaging, adding a finger to slowly begin the scissoring motion that made Blaine ready for him. Kurt's chest was across Blaine and they kissed and Blaine loved the weight of his lover, pressing him to the mattress as he fell apart in his hands. Finally it seemed like Blaine was ready, having turned into a moaning, keening pile of melted boyfriend and Kurt smiled to himself, still amazed that he could bring Blaine to this state. It surprised him every time that Blaine could become so aroused at something Kurt did, and that in turn turned Kurt on even more.

Kurt laid on his back, pulling Blaine into position to ride him. Blaine's eyes got big, having never thought of this position for them, at least hadn't thought of it now, and got his legs and arms ready. Kurt was supporting him as they figured the logistics of it all, then like magic Blaine was sliding down onto position and the feeling was so completely different than the first time they had done it face to face. He had no idea how much strength was needed for this, lifting himself with his thigh muscles and trying to keep his balance as he was constantly fighting himself not to just drop down with all of gravity forcing him onto Kurt's cock.

Kurt realized the problem and put out his hands, grasping Blaine around the waist and helping to relieve the pressure in his thigh muscles as he slid up and then slowly back down, impaling himself on Kurt's cock and feeling the full sensation of having his lover inside him. Even with Kurt helping him keep his balance, it was hard work, but the rewards was worth each and every second of the struggle. With the advantage of being able to move more freely, he could direct the pressure and angle and when he felt Kurt pushing across that part of himself that made stars burst behind his eyes, he all but screamed Kurt's name. It was so hard to stay in the exact right place, and soon the sweat began to run down his temples as he exerted himself.

Blaine was tired from walking so far with the stress of the argument and resulting guilt riding him, and he could feel his muscles begin to cramp. He was experiencing so much love and it felt so good to him, but he was not near to his climax yet and he worried he might give out before he got there. His thighs began to tremble as he pushed his body up once again feeling them weaken as he allowed himself to go down a little faster unable to hold himself up.

Kurt sensed this and put a hand to his belly, rubbing softly and the locking his eyes on Blaine. He smiled and shifted his weight, wrapping his arms around Blaine and letting him sink to the mattress as they changed positions without moving apart. Soon Blaine was on his back and Kurt was above him, stroking into him in a steady rhythm that Blaine began to feel in his whole body, like the tide coming in. The movement, rocking in rhythm, was slowly building up to a climax and Blaine was panting before it was close. Kurt had stopped moaning and was now at a high pitched keening as it got closer...

"Kurt....Kurt...." was all Blaine could muster and Kurt leaned down as far as he could toward Blaine and whispered.

"Do you need me to touch you, Blaine?"

He didn't wait for an answer, but gathered some of the lubricant from where they were joined and used it as he curled his soft hand around Blaine, stroking gently as he moved his thumb along the edge of the crown, making Blaine experience more than he thought possible.

With a heart wrenching squeal, Blaine came in warm spurts, pumping out across their flesh as Kurt watched with his eyes wide before closing them, replaying the sound in his head twice before he gave a loud moan and Blaine could feel the Earth shatter and Kurt was almost in tears as he came, his pent-up anxiety pumping out of his body along with his seed. He gave one last half-hearted thrust and lay down on Blaine's chest, his resolve to be strong broken as he sobbed his exhaustion out in Blaine's warm embrace.

After a few minutes, Blaine climbed out from under Kurt and grabbed a towel from the bedside table. He was able to clean up without getting anything on the sheets, then helped Kurt to pull on the thermals he had brought with him. Blaine put his back on, including the woolen socks and he slid back in with Kurt, still not saying a word and pulling him into his chest, wrapping his arms around the boy he loved. He placed kisses on his head, his temple. And buried his nose in Kurt's neck.

Kurt sobbed his heart out, Blaine staying right there with him, not trying to stop him or to ask him anything, just held him and let him know he was there. It was exactly what Kurt needed. This had been building in him since the accident at the beach. While he did not think he blamed Blaine at all, it had put a burden on him that maybe this relationship was doomed, that karma was trying to tell him something. Little things had added to it, and not even things Blaine had done. The incident with Hank, the jealousy over Lenore, and maybe even the anal tear made his apprehension loom larger. The humiliation of being spanked like a small child – and not being able to get away, that was the final straw and Kurt had just lost it.

Blaine understood much of this. He had seen the emotions building up, but had no clue how to deal with it, no way to solve it. So he did what a lot of people do: he ignored it. He hadn't meant to humiliate Kurt, but now he understood it. He hadn't realized how much stronger he was than Kurt – who was taller with longer arms. But after the knee surgery, he hadn't been able to keep up with his exercise regimen and he had lost some muscle tone in the process. Plus he had probably never been as strong as Blaine, who not only trained with Pete, but did manual labor for years when all Kurt did was pick up his school books and walk across campus.

Kurt had run out of tears. He had sobbed with dry eyes for a while, but much like dry heaves when you're drunk, that only made things worse. Blaine had begun carding his fingers through Kurt's hair, feeling the silky strands as they slid through between his fingers and felt so soft. It was calming for Kurt and he got sleepy. He did not fall asleep, he was too wound up for that, but he was in a better state.

"Thank you, Blaine." he said, kissing his neck. He smelled a certain scent that had been around for the last few days. It didn't smell like any product or soap Blaine used, this was new. It was faint but had a very pungent aroma. Kurt thought about it. Scents had always affected him a great deal, and this one was beginning to. He recalled smelling it in the helicopter in the morning when they landed, and again just a little hint of it in the cabin. Maybe it was something Lenore was using...a new perfume? He didn't recall her smelling like that before, though, and why was it so much stronger on Blaine's hands of all places? Kurt dismissed this for now, there were so many other things they needed to talk over the fleeting odor was not anything to worry about.

"Blaine, I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I hope you know that I didn't mean anything I said, and that I love you so much. If I did anything to make you think I didn't love you...I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" Kurt babbled, worried about how this would come across to Blaine, hoping it didn't make him look weak.

"No, no...oh, Kurt, no...I'm not angry with you and there is nothing to forgive. It was my fault and I am asking you to forgive me. I love you, too, and I want to spend the rest of my life telling you so," Blaine said, his eyes watering as he gave Kurt a very tender kiss on his full and soft lips. They closed their eyes and kissed for a while, each marveling in the sweet and gentle kiss of the other. They were so much in love, and this little rift would be forgotten by next week.

"Blaine, can you sing me a lullaby?" Kurt asked.

"Of course, baby. Can it be a Disney lullaby?" Blaine asked.

"Those are the best kind," Kurt said, smiling a little in anticipation.

"Well, this is the one from 'Tarzan'. I love you, Kurt, with all my heart. You know that, don't you?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, Blaine, I just need to be reminded sometimes, okay? I love you, too," Kurt answered, gathering a handful of Blaine's shirt in his fist.

"I love you, too, baby, with all my heart."

Come stop your crying, It will be alright
Just take my hand, Hold it tight
I will protect you, From all around you
I will be here, Don't you cry

For one so small, You seem so strong
My arms will hold you, Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us, Can't be broken
I will be here, Don't you cry

'Cause you'll be in my heart, Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on, Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart ,No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart, always

Why can't they understand the way we feel?
They just don't trust what they can't explain
I know we're different but deep inside us
We're not that different at all

And you'll be in my heart, Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on, Now and forever more

Don't listen to them
'Cause what do they know?
We need each other To have, to hold.
They'll see in time I know

When destiny calls you
You must be strong
I may not be with you, But you've got to hold on
They'll see in time I know
We'll show them together

'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
I'll be there from this day on,
Now and forever more

Oh, you'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart
Always I'll be with you
I'll be there for you always, Always and always
Just look over your shoulder
Just look over your shoulder
Just look over your shoulder
I'll be there always.

"Kurt?" Blaine whispered, but he was sound asleep. "Kurt, I mean every word of that, my love."

Kurt smiled in his sleep and curled himself just a bit closer to Blaine as he fell asleep, too.