Kurt and Blaine were standing in front of the hotel the next morning waiting for Jose.

"Hey, beautiful, how was your first night in paradise?" Blaine whispered to Kurt. Kurt smiled and kissed Blaine's cheek.

"Wonderful," he answered, putting an arm around Blaine.

Jose drove up to the curb, quickly getting out and opening the back door for Kurt and Blaine.

"We will be visiting the Castillo San Felipe del Morro today on the Bay of San Juan. It is a castle named for Philip II of Spain, built in 1539."

"Oh, I read about this, Kurt. I'm excited to go – they have these guard towers called garitas. Do you have the camera?" Blaine asked.

"Of course. I brought the camera – it takes better pictures than my cell phone," Kurt said.

"I hope you don't mind a personal observation? It is a long walk to the entrance of the castillo, Mr. Kurt, and I notice you are limping. Are you sure you can walk far on your leg?" Jose asked, his face full of concern.

"I have my brace, so it should be fine. Thank you, though, for thinking of my comfort," Kurt said, a smile appearing on his lips. Jeff had recommended this man to be their tour guide and so far he had been like visiting a friend. Jeff's family had known the Rivera family for decades, ever since Jose had been a student at the university where Jeff's father taught. Jose still loved the Sterling family like his own and was more than happy to host Jeff's friends for their honeymoon.

Standing at the entrance of El Morro, Kurt's jaw dropped. It was so beautiful, four stories above the sea with a light on the top.

"Why does the lighthouse look so different from the rest of the castle?" Blaine asked.

"It wasn't part of the original building. It was built by the U.S. Military in 1908 after they destroyed the original light in 1898. Shall we go inside?" Jose directed.

They toured the castle, marveling at the amazing structures still there four hundred years after it was built.

After the tour, Kurt and Blaine were hungry, so Jose suggested they get a small meal from street vendors as they did a short walking tour of the city of San Juan. They ate several kinds of meat, grilled on braziers at street-side kiosks. They followed this with fresh fruit served on long sticks.

"For the afternoon, we can visit La Plaza de Mercado de Río Piedras where my wife and eldest daughter will meet us. My family has planned a dinner for you tonight at our home and you may stay for the night so we can get an early start to El Yunque in the morning, if this meets with your approval?" Jose asked, his sparkling eyes showing his happiness.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Blaine exclaimed, hooking his arm through Kurt's as they hurried to keep up.

Jose found a parking spot not too far from the market and the three of them got out of the car to walk the several blocks to the open-air market. Coming around the building that blocked their view of the market, Kurt let out a shout of joy as the odors came from the market. Fresh fruit and flowers were light on the breeze accompanied by the sight and smells of various meats being grilled on small braziers in some of the stalls. It was bright and colorful and so many things were on display by the various vendors as they strolled down the first row of stalls.

Coming down the row were two lovely women, holding hands and smiling at people who called out to them. They stopped I front of Jose, the woman pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek and the girl throwing her arms around him.

"Papa!" she said, smiling into his eyes.

"Kurt, Blaine, I would introduce you to my wife, Maria, and my eldest daughter, Sophia Michelle," Jose said, his pride in his beautiful family shining in his eyes. "Maria, Sophia, these men are the friends of Jeff Sterling we are hosting this week. Please welcome Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Anderson."

They all shook hands and Sophia bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement. Her father had asked her to accompany the honeymooners to the market and help them select some food for supper that night.

"Sophia will be your guide today. Maria and I will meet you in an hour at the other side of the market," Jose grinned. He knew the boys would have a good time because Sophia was so friendly and knew all about how to navigate the market.

"It is so good to meet you, Sophia," Kurt said, a smile on his face. She looked to be about 16 or 17 with long glossy hair pulled off her face and falling in a cascade down her back. Her large brown eyes were framed by long, thick eyelashes and she had classic Cupid's Bow lips that were always smiling. She was more than pretty, she was beautiful by anyone's standards and it made both boys feel trusted that her father allowed her to guide them through the market.

"Good to meet you also, Mr. Hummel-Anderson," she said politely.

"Oh, no...please call us Kurt and Blaine," Blaine hurried to ask her. Calling them by their first names was so much more friendly.

They walked down the aisles and Sophia questioned them about what they liked to eat. She was pleasantly surprised to find they loved the dishes that were popular in Puerto Rico instead of McDonalds or Burger King.

"Your father took us to a restaurant last night that served a delicious dish...I think it was called Mogono? No, that's not it...Maffano?" Blaine asked, not sure of the pronunciation of the dish. Sophia giggled.

"I think you mean Mofongo?" she asked.

"Yes, that's it. I've never tasted it back home and it was great. Can you teach me how to cook it?" Blaine asked.

"Of course. We need to find plantains and garlic. It requires chicharrones, but we can make those at home. Mofongo can be served just as it is or we can serve it with a stuffing: pork, beef, chicken, shrimp?" Sophia asked.

"Oh, shrimp sounds good!" Kurt said, smiling at Sophia.

"We can get fresh shrimp here in the market. Then, how about a fruit salad?" she asked.

"That sounds lovely," Kurt answered just as Blaine was about to say the same thing.

They strolled around the market, buying all the ingredients for supper that night, stopping at a cart to enjoy piraguas. These were similar to what Kurt had as a child but he called them 'snow cones': shaved ice in a paper cone with syrup poured over the top in flavors like coconut, pineapple, tamarind, guava or raspberry.

Kurt asked the vendor to mix the pineapple and coconut on his. Sophia bumped Blaine's shoulder, "Get the tamarind, you'll love it." Sophia got raspberry.

As they walked along the stalls, the ice treat was just the right thing because it was very hot. Blaine tasted his tamarind piragua and a smile came across his face.

"This is wonderful! Kurt, try this flavor!" Blaine encouraged and Kurt took a taste and he smiled, too.

"I should have taken your advice, Sophia, that is good. Here, Blaine, try my pina colada," Kurt offered. They agreed that both were wonderful and then turned to laugh with Sophia because the raspberry had turned her lips bright pink.

"It always does that, but it's my favorite," she grinned.

As they wandered among all the vendors with brightly colored clothes and food, Blaine spotted a man playing an instrument. It was made from a gourd and had grooves carved on one side.

"Let's go see that," he encouraged Kurt and Sophia.

They listened as the man played with some other men joining in with a small drum and a guitar. When they were done, Blaine asked about the unusual instrument.

"This is a Guiro, a traditional instrument from here in Puerto Rico. Do you like the sound?" the man asked.

"Very much. Is there a place here in the market to buy one?" Kurt asked, seeing Blaine's face light up.

"Yes, down this aisle, at the end. My sister sells many kinds of instruments, I'm sure she can help you," the man smiled and then went back to playing music with his friends.

A visit to the stall of the man's sister was fun as they played with all the instruments. Kurt bought Blaine a Guiro as a wedding present and he played it as they walked along. They found more things to take home to their friends: a set of teak wood dominoes among them. Dominoes were very popular and the boys saw many people sitting at domino tables playing the game in the shade under trees at the edge of the market.

"Dad's gonna love these," Kurt grinned, picturing his father playing like he did when Kurt was small.

They finally met Jose and Maria sitting on a bench at the other end of the market. Kurt and Blaine were having a great time and they had bags of things they had purchased at the market to carry back to the car. Jose kidded them about taking half the island home with them, but it was done with gentle teasing and everyone was laughing as they drove to Jose's home.

Getting out of the car, they were met by the rest of Jose's family.

"Blaine, Kurt, this is my younger daughter, Carmella, and my son, Romero," Jose introduced them.

The boys were soon in the kitchen with Sophia and Maria as they taught the boys how to prepare the mofongo.

"You need to peel the plantains first. Here, Blaine, take the plantains and we'll set them in a pan of hot water for two minutes, that makes them easier to peel," Sophia instructed. In the mean time, Maria and Kurt were preparing the fruit salad on the other side of the kitchen.

"Now, slit the skin like this," Sophia instructed, "and peel it off. Then we slice it into thin slices like this."

Blaine followed her directions and soon had all of the plantains ready to be cooked. They set the slices in hot oil and fried them until they were a deep yellow.

"Not browned or they won't be the right consistency," she warned as Blaine removed the pieces that were done to drain on paper in a bowl.

While they were doing that, Maria made the shrimp to go with the mofongo.

"Now, we take several pieces of the plantain at a time and put them in the pilon," Sophia said, getting the pilon out of a cupboard and setting it down in front of Blaine.

"Pilon?"

"Yes, you would call it a mortar and pestle, I think," she told him, "but this one is made of wood."

They ground the plantain slices in the pilon, adding tiny slivers of garlic, salt, and pepper as they ground it into paste. Each time the plantains in the pilon were mashed to the right consistency, Sophia removed them to a large bowl and added more. At last they were all mashed.

"We will make them into balls and set them on the plates here," she said, demonstrating how to do this step, creating a sort of crater in the center of each ball. "And this is where the shrimp will go."

Maria and Kurt added the shrimp to each ball of mofongo and the plates were brought to the table. Jose, Romero, and Carmella joined the cooks at the table. After saying grace, they passed the bowl of fruit salad and everyone began to eat. It was a wonderful meal, lots of laughter and many explanations about the island culture. Blaine was overjoyed to have both a new recipe to make for Kurt and to have made such good friends.

Maria winked at Kurt as they cleared the table and brought back cups of coffee. She had shown Kurt how to make the version her family liked best, called Cortadito which was somewhat like an espresso but made with locally grown coffee beans called Yaucono. Sugar was placed in a cup and just enough of the hot coffee to make a paste, which was stirred and then the hot coffee was poured on it making a sweet froth on top. It was then served with a layer of steamed milk to finish it.

It was a lovely evening and they played dominoes with the family on their patio as the cool ocean breezes brought the refreshing smell of salt water to them. It wasn't until both Blaine and Kurt were yawning that Jose asked his son, Romero, to get their luggage out of the jeep and show them the way to the guest house.

"Goodnight, Mr. Blaine and Mr. Kurt," the boy said.

"Goodnight, Romero, and thank you," Blaine said back.

"We'll see you in the morning," Kurt added, shaking the boy's hand.

~*~

"That was fun, I loved the open air market," Kurt said, grinning.

"You, my dear, just like to shop," Blaine kidded, kissing Kurt on the temple and running his hand under his jaw for a moment and looking into those gorgeous blue eyes.

Kurt couldn't think of a single comeback and briefly worried he was losing his sarcastic edge, but Blaine's kisses had reached his mouth and he stopped wondering to concentrate on kissing Blaine back.

They were in bed, listening to the ocean wash onto the shore in a slow, hypnotic rhythm. It had been a long day and they had more to do tomorrow so it was fine to just lay in each other's arms and drift off to the sound of the sea.

"Goodnight, Mr. Hummel-Anderson," Blaine said, snuggling closer to Kurt, kissing his bare shoulder briefly before laying his head on it.

"Goodnight, Mr. Hummel-Anderson," Kurt said back, kissing Blaine's head.

~*~

"Buenos dias," Maria greeted the boys when they walked across the patio to sit down with the Rivera family. "Did you sleep well?"

"We did. The sound of the ocean was like a lullaby," Kurt grinned, finding Blaine's hand under the table and taking hold of it. Blaine smiled at him, winking when nobody was looking.

"Carmella and Sophia are making breakfast, some traditional food we hope you enjoy," Jose told them. He loved that the boys were so adventurous when it came to food. So many tourists would not even give the Puerto Rican food a chance, but both Blaine and Kurt seemed to embrace the food and culture of the island. Jose smiled to himself, thinking he had to thank the Sterling family for thinking of him when they suggested the boys honeymoon here.

Carmella was around 15 years old and looked very much like her beautiful elder sister, but she was a lot more shy, hiding behind Sophia when they came out on the patio with the breakfast. Sophia was carrying several plates and she set them down in front of Kurt and Blaine before returning to the kitchen for the rest of the plates. They were all sitting down and Carmella was pouring something that looked like orange juice in the small glasses next to each plate.

"Oh, this smells divine! Tell me about it, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this in Oregon," Blaine said, looking at the pastry on his plate.

"This is called a mallorca. It is fresh baked bread stuffed with ham, eggs, and cheese that is buttered and grilled, then sprinkled with powdered sugar. Everyone has their own recipe. This one the girls learned from their grandmother," Maria explained.

When everyone was seated and grace was said, they ate the luscious pastry. Kurt was the first to drink the orange juice and Sophia giggled at the face he made. It looked and smelled like orange juice, but the taste was something very different from what he was used to. He hurried to take another big swallow, savoring it.

"Oh, Kurt, you are so cute. Tell me, have you never had Puerto Rican style orange juice?" Sophia asked, her face a mask of innocence.

"No, but I'm thinking of buying a few trees so I can have this for breakfast at home every day!" he joked, obviously loving the drink.

"What makes it taste so different?" Blaine asked, taking another sip.

"La China Dulce. We use oranges called 'Chinas', you might call them naranges? Here, let me show you. See the tree with branches hanging over the gate?" she asked, pointing at a gate at the far side of the yard. From it's branches hung huge citrus fruit that looked a great deal like grapefruit, but were yellowish green. "Those are the oranges we use. I picked them this morning and just squeezed them, I don't add any ingredients – the sweetness is their natural taste," Sophia told them. "I'm happy you like it," she said, looking down demurely and letting her smile show a little. She was not a person to brag about herself and was feeling a bit shy.

"It is just wonderful, my complements to our chefs!" Kurt said, squeezing Sophia's hand for a brief moment. "Everything here has been so delicious and we appreciate all your hard work to make us feel so welcome."

"Thank you," Sophia said very quietly, but he could see the sparkle in her eyes and he knew he had made her happy.

Breakfast done, Maria brought out the delicious Puerto Rican coffee that Kurt and Blaine knew they would miss it the most when they went home. Jose took out the itinerary for the day and began to discuss it with the boys.

"Today is the day we go to el Yunque. Dress for a warm place, nothing fancy as we will be walking through the forest. Be sure to wear thick socks and sturdy hiking boots. I have canteens and things for our trek. I'll meet you here in half an hour and we'll get going," he told them.

~*~

Stepping out of the car, Kurt was at first very intimidated. He had lived in the Oregon wilderness with Blaine, but seeing the vast forest he got a cold chill that was almost fear for a moment. Always attuned to Kurt, Blaine slipped a reassuring hand into his husband's and tried smiling at him to calm his nerves. Kurt visibly relaxed. He knew Blaine would take care of him and his fear dissipated. Blaine, on the other hand, was thrilled at the sight of the forest. He could hardly wait to walk in and bury himself in the wild feel of the place.

"This is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system, and has been designated a National Forest for over 100 years. It rains here just about every day because of the climate created by the Trade Winds hitting the mountains. We have over 6 meters of rainfall every year."

Blaine and Kurt followed Jose to a building and while their guide was inside they looked at some of the displays that told about the forest. There was a large cage filled with foliage and pans of bright fruit in holders. A woman was standing near it and she turned from her work to talk to Kurt and Blaine.

"Would you like to see the birds?" she asked and the boys walked over.

"Yes, what kind of birds?" Blaine asked.

"Puerto Rican parrots. These are part of a breeding program, so we keep them in flight cages, but every year we are able let more and more go back to the wild. They are an endangered species, but we're winning the war with these. I think one day there will be a sustainable wild population back in the forest where they belong," she said with a hopeful smile.

"Oh, there!" Kurt said, not too loud, as he pointed out a small green parrot with a red forehead and blue feathers at the front of its wings.

"It's beautiful," Blaine said, looking at the bird that was poking its beak into a crevice in the tree. He loved birds and as Kurt had found out, birdwatching was one of his favorite hobbies.

A shout from the other building reminded them Jose was waiting and they ran back to find he was standing there holding the reins of four horses.

"You did say you can ride?" he asked and Blaine grinned.

"Yes, we used to ride in the forest in Oregon. Kurt isn't as practiced as I am, having been raised in the city, but he can stay on the horse," Blaine kidded, getting a play slap on the arm as Kurt gave him a frown. A minute later they were laughing as they mounted the horses and Jose started out, Blaine, Kurt, and finally Sophia followed in a line as they entered the rain forest.

It was a beautiful day and the rain was more of a light mist as they looked at all the surroundings. They had entered a darker part of the forest, near some rocky hills and a deep river when Blaine stopped his horse. Everyone halted as he pointed up to some branches in a low-growing tree to see some tiny birds. They watched for a while before the birds flew deeper into the forest.

"Were those humming birds?" Kurt asked. Having seen ruby-throated humming birds in Oregon.

"No, those are called 'San Pedrito' Sophia answered, looking at her father for conformation. He nodded his head.

"That is the colloquial name. They are actually Puerto Rican Todies and are more closely related to the kingfisher, but they eat lizards. They dig nests in the sides of hills," Jose elaborated.

"Oh! Look at that one!" Kurt said, "Wow, that is some tail," he said in wonder. There was a black and white bird with a bright red beak sitting on a branch, but the amazing thing was its tail. The bird was maybe six inches long, but its tail was almost a foot and a half long.

"That is a pin-tail whydah. They're funny in that they act like a mocking bird: laying their eggs in another bird's nest so when they hatch the other bird takes care of the fledglings," he said and the boys laughed.

Quite a ways into the rainforest, they passed by a waterfall. Everyone dismounted and they got water to drink from their canteens and ate some fruit they'd brought with them. Blaine caught movement by his side and with his quick reflexes, he caught a tiny frog in his hands.

"Look, Kurt! Like the Pacific Tree frogs in Oregon!"

"Oh, yes they do look like them, how cute," Kurt said, grinning at the memory of the time Blaine had caught him one during a ride in the mountains back in the lumber camp.

"That little ambassador is called the coqui." Jose explained, eying the little fellow.

Blaine set it back gently on the leafy branch where he caught it.

Once again mounted, they rode along the paved path that looped around and doubled back on itself. It had been a long day for two boys not used to riding for quite some time and Kurt recognized the dull ache in his hips and knees from his first days in Oregon. He didn't say anything, not wanting to put a damper on their trip.

They enjoyed the car ride back to Jose's house where they would spend the night before going on a ferry ride to Culebra Island and on to Vieques Island for the next three days. Jose would pick them up then for the next part of their tour.

After another scrumptious dinner, Blaine and Kurt headed back to the guest quarters on the other side of the patio.

"Did you have a good time today?" Kurt asked, rubbing absently at Blaine's shoulders as he leaned against his husband.

"It was wonderful, so nice to be back in a forest – even if it wasn't pine," Blaine giggled.

"Yeah, I have to admit, I did feel right at home there," Kurt told Blaine as he stopped rubbing and leaned forward, his bare chest in contact with Blaine's back. Blaine hummed his delight to have Kurt snuggling so close and Kurt put his cheek on Blaine's shoulder blade, his arms curling around his waist.

"I loved the birds...oh, and the tiny frog made me think of home," Blaine yawned. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "Tomorrow the white sand beaches of Culebra."

"Ah...I never took Spanish in school, but I did hang out with Santana a lot," Kurt said and smiled at Blaine's giggle. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't 'culebra' mean snake?"

"Yes, I think so. But don't be afraid, there are no poisonous snakes in Puerto Rico. You'll be safe."

"Well, poisonous means we'd get sick if we ate it, but venomous means we'd get sick if they bit us...so my question would be: are there venomous snakes in Puerto Rico?" Kurt asked in a snarky voice. Blaine knew that meant that Kurt was hiding something, probably a fear of being killed by a snake in the grass or something.

"No, I don't think there are any dangerous snakes anywhere in Puerto Rico. Now, can I get some rest, baby? I'm tuckered out."

"Okay," Kurt agreed, trying to set aside his fear of snakes of any variety, dangerous or not.

They laid down and turned so Kurt was the little spoon and closed their eyes, Blaine's arms holding him tightly.

"Hey, Blaine?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah?"

"I think there's a snake in the bed now," Kurt said with a low voice. Blaine blinked, he had been on the edge of sleep.

"Now? What kind of snake would crawl in our bed?"

"A one-eyed trouser snake," Kurt giggled, backing himself into Blaine and rubbing his butt against Blaine's growing erection.

"Kurt!" Blaine said, but leaned forward to kiss Kurt's neck and get a bit closer, the thought of sleep leaving his brain.

~*~

It was a bright morning and Kurt and Blaine found themselves on the ferry to Culebra Island for a day of swimming and beach combing.

"You know I don't do sun, Blaine. What else can we do on this island?" Kurt asked and Blaine poked him in the belly playfully. Kurt frowned but a little kiss to the corner of his mouth made him smile once again.

"We'll have a nice room on the beach, very private, so we can just be honeymooners during the hottest part of the day. How does that sound?" Blaine asked, caressing the inside of Kurt's wrist and kissing his neck.

"It sounds wonderful, but we're on a ferry filled with people, so maybe you could stop kissing my neck? I'm only wearing running shorts and this could become embarrassing quickly, my sweet," Kurt whispered, his voice beginning to squeak a little. Blaine grinned and kissed him one more time – on his soft lips – and guided him over to the railing so they could see the island coming into view.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Kurt said. "Blaine! Look!" he pointed to the water where a dolphin was swimming close to the ferry.

An employee of the ferry came over with a bucket.

"You've spotted our pet, I see," he said, smiling at the boys.

"Your pet?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, he was injured and two of the employees jumped in and guided him to shallow water. We called a veterinarian and he came and sewed up the gash in his side. He thought it might have been from a motorboat. Ever since then, Flipper comes and begs for fish. He's really quite friendly," the man said.

"Flipper?" Kurt laughed.

"I didn't name him. The son of the man that saved him had seen the movie and named him. Would you like to throw him some fish?" he asked.

Kurt pulled his hand back, not sure if he wanted to smell like fish for the rest of the day, but Blaine was all for it.

"I'd love to!" Thank you, sir," he said and took a fish from the bucket and threw it for Flipper.

The dolphin grabbed it and ate it in the blink of an eye, then reared out of the water, seemingly riding the wave on his tail for a brief moment while he made a noise as if he were chattering at them. Blaine's smile couldn't be any brighter. The man offered him the bucket again and he fed Flipper once more, laughing at the mammal's antics. By this time, Kurt was loving the show so much, he took a fish and threw it for Flipper – who caught it in mid-air and swallowed it down. He jumped in the air, spinning in a full roll before disappearing beneath the water once again. In a few minutes, he was back begging for more.

"Oh, he's so funny!" Kurt said, grabbing Blaine's hand.

"Thank you so much for letting us feed him, that was great," Blaine said, holding out his right, non-fishy hand. "I'm Blaine and this is my husband, Kurt."

The man gave him a strange look and Kurt had a terrible feeling in his stomach. It had been a while since he had felt rejection and it didn't feel good.

"Please, wait here," the man said and quickly turned and went inside the ferry house. Kurt looked at Blaine, his eyes filling with tears. Would this prejudice never end? He wanted to crawl inside himself so nobody could see him. Blaine took Kurt in his arms and held on. He was feeling a little bit the same, although he had never met as much homophobia as Kurt had in his life since he lived in such an isolated place. Living in Lima with Kurt, though, he'd had his share. They were looking for someplace else to go, but it was a small ferry in the middle of the ocean, so there was really no place to go.

"Courage," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear as he held him closer, rubbing his back to try and comfort him as much as possible.

The man was back, but this time he was holding another man's hand. What?

"Blaine, Kurt, I want to introduce you to my partner, Juan. I'm sorry if I am intruding, but he would never believe me if I didn't bring him here to introduce you to him in person," the man said.

"Ah...hello, Juan. And?" Blaine said, a questioning look on his face at the first man.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I was so excited, I didn't think.....I am Carlos Pimental. This is my partner, Juan....oh, I already said that..." Carlos said, obviously too excited to speak coherently. He stuck out his hand once more and Blaine shook it.

"I hope you don't mind, but when you said you were on your honeymoon, well, it just seemed too exciting not to tell Juan. You see, marriage between two men is not legal here in Puerto Rico yet and to find a couple that is married...well, you understand, don't you?" Carlos asked. Juan slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him a bit closer in an attempt to comfort his partner.

"How long have you been together?" Kurt asked, coming out of his shell and joining the conversation. Blaine still held his arm around his waist to make sure he was okay, but Kurt was smiling at the two men now. Carlos looked to be in his fifties, Juan maybe a little younger.

"We met almost thirty years ago, in school. We became roommates because we loved each other, but it was not socially acceptable back then for two men to be lovers, so we kept it quiet. I went away to college when my father found out, but I came back after getting my degree in teaching because I missed Carlos too much. The world is changing, though, and we don't hide who we are any more. Can I ask where you are from?" Juan asked.

"We live in Oregon, but we had to go to Washington to get married. It is not legal yet in Oregon," Kurt told them.

"Oh, that is so wonderful. Maybe one day we can go to Washington and get married legally. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to marry Juan," Carlos lamented.

"Look us up when you do, we'd love to have you come to visit us," Blaine said, looking at Kurt with a warm smile. Kurt smiled back, so happy they had met these friendly people.

"Where are you staying on Culebra? Or are you coming back on the ferry tonight?" Carlos asked.

"At a private resort, the Flaminco. We want to see the turtles hatch. Do you know the best place for that?" Blaine asked. He knew most of the beaches had nests of leatherback and hawksbill turtles this time of year, but a local would know better where the best place would be to see them.

"If you would like, I get off work as soon as we dock. We live here on Culebra, and we have a boat. We'd love for you to be our guests and come with us to see Culebrita. It's a small island off the coast of Culebra and it's the best place for turtle watching and snorkeling this time of year. Would you like to come?" Juan asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Blaine looked at Kurt and they spoke an entire conversation without saying a word, like most married couples. They agreed it would be great fun and they would have alone time that evening at their hotel.

"Yes, we would love to come with you, thank you so much for your kind offer," Blaine accepted. All four men began to talk at once, laughing and chatting the rest of the way to the island. Flipper danced on the waves and they fed him fish until they reached the shallow water.

Once they reached Culebrita, the wonders kept Kurt's and Blaine's eyes open to all the wildlife to be seen there. Carlos had enough snorkeling equipment for all of them and they spent several hours looking at the abundant sealife from moray eels to baby lobsters, schools of brightly colored fish and amazing corals. It was a dream come true for the boys as they saw more things than they could have imagined.

Kurt had to surface frequently to reapply sunscreen to protect his skin, and Blaine was always happy to rub it on. They finally got tired and Juan suggested they stop for lunch, which Carlos and Juan had brought in a large basket.

They sat under some shady trees and ate in companionable silence for a while.

"How did they two of you meet? You seem very young to be married, if I might say so," Carlos asked.

"Now that is a long story," Kurt said, reaching over to put an arm around his husband. Blaine and Kurt told the story of Kurt's attack and the subsequent train ride to the lumber camp and how he got back home all the way to their wedding. Carlos and Juan sat spellbound as the boys recounted the trial and tribulations of their life together.

"We are kind of young to be married I suppose, we're both nineteen, but it seems like we've lived ten years in the last two," Blaine said, scooting closer to Kurt to pull him into his lap and put his arms around him. Carlos smiled at the gesture and Juan took his partner's hand.

They sat in the shade for a few hours, just talking and taking in the beautiful place.

"Would you like to see the turtle beach?" Juan asked after they had rested.

"That would be lovely!" Kurt said, knowing it was one of the things Blaine had most wanted to see.

They got up, dusted the sand from their clothes and walked for a while to another beach. Juan explained how to watch without disturbing the turtles and they walked quietly to a better vantage point to sit and keep a lookout. They were lucky enough to see as several baby turtles emerged, flipping their way to the sea when they found they were free of the encumbering confines of their shells. Blaine's eyes were as big as dinner plates, he was so mesmerized by the tiny little things, so Kurt was careful to take a lot of photos so they would remember the experience. He had an underwater camera bought just for the trip, so he had taken a lot of pictures of the things they found while snorkeling, too.

There were several other people on the beach and Kurt asked a woman if she would take their pictures. She was glad to help out and so they got pictures of Juan and Carlos with Kurt and Blaine. They had a wonderful day and everyone was sad when it was over. They returned to Calebra and Carlos escorted them to their hotel, promising to pick them up the following afternoon to take them back to the ferry.

"Oh, that was so much fun!" Blaine crowed as they walked into their room.

"It was. I don't think we would have had near as good a time if we hadn't made friends with Carlos and Juan. I'm amazed at how friendly the people are here. It's not like Ohio at all," Kurt complained.

"Well, I bet there are plenty of nice people in Ohio, and I suppose there are some not-so-nice ones here. I think we were just lucky," Blaine said, taking off the clothes he'd been wearing all day. They were a bit stiff with the salt from the sea and he set them to soak in the bathroom sink along with Kurt's.

"Do you think they will come to Washington to get married some day?" Kurt asked, meaning Juan and Carlos.

"I'd love for them to visit us, but it's just too bad same sex marriage isn't legal here. I'd like to think it will be legal everywhere one day. Soon."

"I'm not holding my breath. In a perfect world, yes it might happen...but this is not a perfect world, is it?" Kurt said, feeling petulant.

"Yes, it is. I have you. What else could I possibly need?" Blaine crooned, coming to throw his arms around his very naked husband.

"Well, if you put it that way..." Kurt kissed him, moving his soft lips across Blaine's mouth, then licking to taste the salty sheen that remained on his lips from the last dip in the ocean before they came home.

"Let's get in the shower, my love, this salty residue isn't good for my hair," Kurt said, making an excuse to have a very wet Blaine in his arms.

"I'm right there with you," Blaine whispered, kissing across the back of Kurt's neck when he turned.

They got in the luxurious shower together, letting the pounding water wash over them as Blaine washed Kurt's hair with the shampoo they brought in their luggage. He ran his fingers through the chestnut locks, scrubbing his fingertips on Kurt's scalp until he sighed with content, loving that Blaine took such good care of him. It reminded him of the days when Blaine would heat a large kettle of water and wash his hair in the cabin, going out on the back porch to rinse all the foam away with dippersfull of the hot water. He missed those days of there being only Blaine and himself in the cabin. Other people were nice, and he loved to have good friends to talk to, but being alone with Blaine was what he craved.

All done with Kurt's hair, he allowed Kurt to do his, Kurt's fingers carding through the mop of curls that were going untamed for the most part this vacation. He knew Kurt loved the curls, so he didn't use that goblin's blood concoction to lacquer it into shape as he had when he lived with Kurt in Lima. No, this was so much better, and he loved the feel of Kurt's fingers in his hair.

Having rinsed the shampoo out of Blaine's hair, Kurt took the soap and a washcloth and washed his husband, rubbing up against him as he went, knowing Blaine loved to feel his slippery skin sliding across his own. By the time Kurt had been thoroughly washed as well, they were kissing under the fall of the water, tongues dancing together and hands sliding across hot skin.

"Kurt, oh...that feels nice," Blaine whispered as Kurt's hand slid up and down Blaine's fully erect cock. He was standing behind Blaine, his own cock rubbing along the crease between his buttocks and one hand rubbing gently on Blaine's nipple, the other stroking his erection. It wasn't long before Blaine was panting, pushing against Kurt's cock and trying to get closer.

"Let's dry off and get into bed," Blaine whispered and Kurt turned off the shower, Blaine helping him over the side of the tub in case his knee was sore today from all the activity.

Kurt was the first one in bed, holding the covers open for Blaine to snuggle in with him. They lay together for a while, just looking into each other's eyes. They had been together for what seemed like a long time, but this never got old – sharing the same thoughts, sharing the love they felt. Kurt moved the few inches closer and kissed Blaine gently on the lips, just a soft, tender kiss to tell him how much he was loving this honeymoon. Blaine hummed into the kiss, slowly changing it from its chaste beginning to having his tongue enter Kurt's mouth and rub along his tongue, soft and warm and full of love. They just kissed for a while, their bodies creeping closer together as if by some gravitational pull. They finally noticed as their skin was touching from lips to toes, their legs twined together, their arms around each other.

Blaine pulled back enough to allow himself room to kiss down Kurt's neck and bite playfully on his collarbone, eliciting a moan from Kurt's throat. Kurt's fingers found Blaine's nipple on the left side and slid over it, increasing pressure until he heard a returning groan. They slid and brushed and stroked their fingers and lips all over each other, slowly as they felt each new texture, allowed each new tingle to linger.

"Do you want to be on top this time?" Kurt asked, not particular which position he had since he was very happy with either one.

"Yes, baby...please...." Blaine asked, resuming his kissing as soon as he said it. Kurt hummed his agreement and buttered his fingers with the astroglide, and prepped Blaine gently. He added more to his fingers and stroked on himself before spreading Blaine's legs and sliding in.

"Oh...Kurt...that's right, there...there..." he babbled as Kurt took his cock in his lube-covered hand. "Kurt..." he moaned, almost overwhelmed by the stimulation that was spreading delicious warmth throughout his whole body. Seeing how Blaine was taking it, Kurt leaned down and took a nipple into his mouth and sucked gently, rubbing his tongue across it and Blaine moaned louder, calling Kurt's name as if it were sacred. Kurt loved seeing his husband like this: it wasn't always easy to get him to just let go and to see him unravel like this was such a turn on. Kurt was so close to his climax it was hard to force himself to hold on, but he did for Blaine's sake - holding his breath and thinking it away, slowing the stroke inside Blaine for a moment. It took immense concentration, but he stopped himself and was able to see Blaine in a clearer light. Blaine was lying with his head back against the pillows, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his hands gripping bunches of the blanket while his arms trembled at the tight grip. His legs were curled around Kurt's body, locked there as he curled his very toes in his pursuit of his climax. Kurt redoubled his efforts, changing the angle just a bit, stroking harder with his hand over Blaine's cock, kissing up his chest to suck on the tender skin of his neck, and finally whispering in his ear, "Now, Blaine, come for me, baby," and Blaine's body obeyed as if that was the key needed to unlock him. He groaned loudly, planting his feet in the mattress and pushing down to get as much of Kurt inside him as he possible could.

"Kurt!" he actually shouted, "Oh, my love....Kurt, baby..." he croaked, his throat rough from panting so hard. He tensed all of the muscles in his body and the resulting pressure along with the amazing look in his eyes as he opened them to look into Kurt's was what finally defeated Kurt's resolve to wait. It came upon him like a steam train, and Kurt was powerless to stop it this time. He came with a burst of adrenaline that would have brought him to his knees if he were standing. The heat sped through his veins so fast Kurt was hardly aware of it and he spilled all of his semen deep into Blaine, almost sobbing at the intensity, all of his energy spent. As it was, he collapsed onto Blaine, who gathered Kurt in his arms and held him close until the throbbing finally stopped and Kurt gave a sigh of exhaustion.

They lay together on the towels on the bed, hardly able to do anything other than hold each other gently and look into their eyes. Kurt finally closed his and Blaine was not much behind him and they fell asleep for a while until the need to clean up forced them awake to discard the towels in the hamper and wash up before tumbling back into the luxurious bed and fall soundly asleep, once again listening to the sea crash against the shore.