“Blaine, does it bother you to go by your old house? I mean to be inside it, in your old room?” Kurt asked. They were driving home from Columbus in Cooper's car and were about to drive by the Anderson mansion.

“No. Just in the attic room. As long as I stay away from that, I'm fine. Why?” Blaine asked.

“We're driving right by there, I thought we might stop for a few minutes,” Kurt said.

“Sure, Kurt, that would be fine. I think it will feel different if it's just the two of us. I wouldn't go alone, but with you it should be fine,” Blaine replied.

They drove up to the gate and Kurt got out and unlocked it with Cooper's keys, driving in and locking the gates behind him. Once inside, they walked through the kitchen and into the hallway, turning into the music room. Blaine automatically walked over to the grand piano and sat down, opening the key cover to run his fingers over the ivory keys. He just had to smile as he did this, he had spent so many hours playing this beautiful instrument that it was instantly relaxing to sit here and do it once again. His fingers began to play, almost as though they played by themselves, picking out the tune without him giving it any thought. He played 'Moonlight Sonata', his favorite piece of music.

“I love that...” Kurt began, startling Blaine, who had quite forgotten Kurt was there.

“I love it, too. I always played it when I was sad, missing Cooper or trying to come to terms with understanding who I was. It is like eating chicken soup, a comforting thing no matter how big the problem, everything just seems more manageable if you're eating it. Well, playing this does it for me,” Blaine explained, taking Kurt's hand in his own for a moment and pulling him down on the piano bench beside him. He leaned his head on Kurt's shoulder as Kurt put his arm around Blaine and kissed his hair.

“Play something else?” Kurt asked.

“Only if you sing with me,” Blaine told him. Kurt nodded and let Blaine go so he could play. As soon as the first notes hit the air, Kurt knew what it was and his voice joined Blaine's as they sang:

Never knew I could feel like this

Like I've never seen the sky before

Want to vanish inside your kiss

Every day I love you more and more

Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?

Telling me to give you everything

Seasons may change; winter to spring

But I love you until the end of time.

Come what may, come what may

I will love you until my dying day

Suddenly the world sees such a perfect place

Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace

Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste

It all revolves around you.

And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide

Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side

Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide

But I love you until the end of time

Come what may, come what may

I will love you, oh, I will love you

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place

Come what may, come what may

I will love you until my dying day.

“I will, you know,” Blaine whispered into Kurt's neck as he turned to nuzzle closer, feeling Kurt wrap his strong arms around his shoulders. His own arms were grasping Kurt's waist as they just sat together, breathing in their scent, eyes closed against the rest of the world. Sometimes it just felt like they only needed each other.

Moving a little apart, the feelings getting too intense, and now the need for space between them for a breath or two was upon them. Kurt stretched his arms toward the ceiling, stifling a yawn. He'd been driving for over an hour and was a bit tired. Blaine got up to move his legs, his right one beginning to cramp just a bit the way he was sitting. He strolled over to the music cupboard and opened it, idly looking at the instrument cases. He chose one at random, taking it out with a smile on his face, trying to recall the last time he played this instrument.

Opening the case, he took out the viola, handling it with reverent care, catching the scent of the old wood, the rosin for the bow, the soft flannel he used to wipe it clean after every use. He tightened the bow, taking time to rosin it carefully and examine it for wear or loose strands. This one was made of horse hair and the light color coordinated with the darkness of the wood for the bow. He put the viola under his chin and plucked the first string, automatically reaching to tune it, then each string by turn until the instrument was tuned.

He closed his eyes, Kurt sitting quite forgotten beside him while he thought about the notes as he last saw them on a page. He lifted the bow to touch the strings and let out the breath he'd been holding as he drew it slowly across to make the first note. It was like nothing he could think to compare it to, this making notes come from just a little wooden box and a stick with hair on it. But it sounded like culture and life and love all combined as he played.

Blaine was out of practice, he hadn't been able to touch the viola in years, then in the last year he was just too busy to do it. He could play a piano or even the drums or guitar at school, but violas were such a personal thing, he would never ask to play someone else's instrument. It would be like asking to use their toothbrush, too personal.

He let his mind go blank for a moment, waiting for the music to come from his brain and travel down to his fingers before he could play, and Debussy began to come out of the viola, almost as if it came of its own volition from the instrument itself. It was as if he was just holding the instrument and the music came pouring forth, demanding to be heard. Blaine played with his eyes closed, making a few errors, but the music got cleaner and there were less mistakes as he continued to play, the muscle memory taking over so he was hardly thinking of the notes anymore, just the feelings that coursed through his veins as he played. This was what he was born to do, play music, sing music....love music.

Blaine came to the end of the piece, then played it once again, and Kurt didn't hear any of the errors the second time. He knew Blaine was good, great even, but to pick up an instrument after five years and play it this well? Kurt was amazed. He had never heard anything so beautiful. Well, aside from Blaine's voice when he sang to him, but this was a gift Kurt felt blessed to be able to hear.

At the end, Blaine set the viola down, visibly better than he had been in days, weeks even. This was better than therapy. It was more than respite, it was something that healed Blaine. He put the viola back in the case, loosening first the strings by their pegs and then the bow and wiping the wooden body of the instrument before placing it carefully back in the music closet. He looked at the cases, trying to decide on the next one to try. He didn't feel like getting out all the drums in the kit, drums were for when he was angry he laughed to himself, thinking of all the times he had pounded out his frustration on those drum heads until he'd had to buy new sticks to replace the battered ones.

Ah, here was something Kurt probably didn't even know Blaine owned, if he had heard of the instrument at all. He walked over to a dark corner of the music room and pulled the cover off an instrument that looked kind of like an organ, but older and more ornate. Blaine smiled. It wasn't an instrument he played very often, but had taken it up when a friend of Cooper's had been cleaning out his parents' attic and asked Cooper if he knew anyone that wanted it. Blaine had a bit of a time finding someone to teach it to him, but finally there was a professor at the university in Columbus that knew and was so happy to find a young person so interested that he had taught young Blaine for free.

“What is that, baby?” Kurt asked, not sure he had seen one before.

“It's a harmonium. It could be compared to an organ, I guess, but the sound is more like an accordion because the reeds are played by a bellows I pump with my feet. Here, let me show you,” he said, dusting off the keyboard and testing the bellows. His parents...well, his grandparents, had paid a great deal of money to have it restored and the bellows were fine.

“I only know a few things on this that I can remember, and probably not a whole piece of music of any of them. Do you want Strauss, Rossini, or Mahler? I was working on Liszt's Purgatorio, but I'm not sure I can play that one from memory.”

“Oh, Mahler by all means!” Kurt enthused, feeling privileged that Blaine would play for him.

“Okay, I know the first movement of Mahler's Symphony #8, but forgive me if I'm a little rusty...” Blaine said and Kurt opened his mouth to say something about Blaine's music genius, but thought better of it and closed his mouth, ready to hear anything Blaine could play for him.

The music was wonderful. Blaine did recall most of the notes, only stumbling through a few bars in the beginning, once again closing his eyes and letting it take control, as though he were part of the instrument and the music played itself. He finished the first movement and found he recalled a lot of the second, so he continued.

“I know this is a crazy question, but how many instruments can you play?” Kurt asked after clapping when Blaine was done.

Blaine sat and thought for a few minutes. “Do you mean proficient or just to mess around?”

“Somehow I think anything you can 'mess around' with would be more than proficient in my book, Blaine. You are a music prodigy.” Kurt smiled.

Blaine laughed. “Okay. Piano, guitar, violin, viola, cello, harmonium, mandolin, drums, harmonica, ukulele, ah....dulcimer, recorder, and kazoo! I've picked up some others, but I wouldn't say I could actually play them,” Blaine told him, blushing a little because he thought it sounded a little too much like bragging. “I had dreams of starting maybe a woodwind or brass instrument, but then...well, I didn't get the chance.”

“Wow. I don't play anything. Well, maybe the kazoo. Or I can makes those squashy sounds with my arm pit that kids do in elementary school, I guess,” Kurt kidded. “But all the music I can actually do is sing.”

“With your pipes, that's all you need to do, Kurt. You are the best singer I've ever heard. That first night you spent with me in the attic, when you sang “Toora Loora Loora”, honestly, I thought you were an angel. I woke up the next day not believing you were real. I think I fell in love with you that night, Kurt,” Blaine said so seriously, Kurt felt the burn of tears in his eyes. He couldn't say anything else, he just leaned forward, pulling Blaine towards himself and kissed him very gently, very tenderly.

“I fell in love with you the same night, Blaine.”

Music forgotten for the moment, Kurt sat on the bench, tugging Blaine into his lap as he kissed him again. Blaine startled when he felt them over balancing and beginning to fall, but they caught themselves and stood up, still kissing until they had to come up for air, faces flushed and eyes sparkling.

“Come with me...” Blaine took Kurt's hand and pulled him along, going up the stairs and into his bedroom, throwing back the covers and landing in the bed, Kurt under him as he wiggled closer and began to kiss his boyfriend once again in earnest.

“Oh, Blaine...this is a fantasy of yours, isn't it? You dreamed of having sex in this bed a hundred times I bet,” Kurt guessed, thinking of how many times he had thought about having sex in his own bed over the years. It was all different when he actually lived out that particular dream when Blaine came into his life.

Blaine blushed a little, then grinned, saying, “More like a thousand...” under his breath, pulling Kurt closer and placing his lips on Kurt's, just to feel how good that was every time he did it. He moved his mouth, Kurt following suit, as they just kissed...slowly, tenderly, softly, thoroughly...knowing that was all they needed. Just that much contact was enough. Kurt couldn't think of how many times they had just sat in the family room on the sofa, maybe watching television or listening to music, and kissed or held each other. There was no rush to do more, no pressure to accomplish the next step. They could just enjoy the closeness they shared and be satisfied with that. They slept every night tangled together, Kurt often waking in the night to kiss Blaine and Blaine kissed him back, even when he didn't wake to full consciousness. They just knew each other that well, the promise the kiss held was enough.

Of course, that didn't mean they didn't enjoy sex, because they did. Blaine had been so worried that Kurt would get tired or bored with him, but it never seemed to happen. He was ready to kiss or hold or progress to other things any time Blaine suggested it, whether he spoke about it or just made the gesture, Kurt seemed to know what Blaine wanted or needed, they were that well tuned. It was like a miracle to Blaine that another person could know him so well.

“Kurt?” Blaine started to ask, but Kurt put his fingertip on Blaine's lips, kissing his cheek as he sat up. He began to unbutton Blaine's shirt, taking his time and touching his skin as he did it, making Blaine catch his breath. He should be unbuttoning Kurt's but that would tangle their arms together, Blaine knew from experience, so he sat quietly and listened to his heart beat faster in anticipation.

Kurt pulled the shirt tail loose from Blaine's jeans, then ran his hand up to remove the shirt from his shoulders and place it at the foot of the bed where Blaine had laid his sweater when they came in. Blaine began removing Kurt's shirt and soon they were lying together, the scent of warm skin in Blaine's nose as he nuzzled into Kurt's neck. He took a long breath, loving the smell of lavender, and something spicy like cloves. Underneath the obvious scents of the products Kurt used was a fresh scent like spring rain and Blaine inhaled deeply that scent that epitomized Kurt for him.

Kurt touched Blaine's shoulder, running his fingers along the ridge of muscle before exploring the bicep. Blaine worked out, the therapeutic value of moving his muscles was helping him with stress, and he did it a lot – lifting weights, boxing, yoga. It was paying off in the muscles he was toning and building in his body, the toned look was just a by-product, but Kurt loved to look at Blaine's naked body whenever he got the chance.

He stroked down the forearm, feeling the tender skin on the under side of his arm and kissed the inside of Blane's wrist – getting a sigh and a moan as reward. He kissed his way across the palm and took Blaine's first finger into his mouth, sucking gently and running his tongue around in a swirl. Blaine's hips jerked a little and his golden-hazel eyes got that one shade darker as he looked into Kurt's blue-gray eyes.

They continued the dance, removing pieces of clothing and touching and kissing all that warm skin it exposed. They weren't expected for dinner, so there was no reason to hurry, and they took their time. Sometimes they just stopped and rested, Blaine's nose buried in Kurt's neck as he soaked in all the love Kurt had to give him.

“Do you think we'll get married one day?” Blaine asked Kurt. They had told each other how much in love they were, but Blaine had never been brave enough to ask this question, he was afraid of the answer – but it just seemed right to ask now.

“Yeah, I can see that. I've thought about it a lot, Blaine. I guess we need to talk about it, but haven't you felt all along that this is forever for us?” Kurt asked in return.

“I do, Kurt, I never want anyone but you,” Blaine sighed and snuggled closer, pulling the blankets up around their shoulders against the cold air in the room. He had been dropping lazy kisses all down Kurt's chest, nuzzling against the soft skin for a while. Kurt hummed in contentment; but those kisses got more intense, wetter, harder, deeper and had more force behind them as he took Kurt's nipple gently between his teeth and then licked around it, delighting in the noise that came from Kurt's throat. With a happy grin, he moved to the other one and did the same, Kurt's arms tightening around Blaine as he shivered a little at the stimulation.

Blaine moved to the side of the bed and reached into his discarded sweater pocket, finding the little tube he had left in there from last week's impromptu drive out in the country. He kept it in his hand to warm up as he returned to his waiting boyfriend, continuing the kisses across Kurt's chest and down to give him a bite on that sexy hipbone. He traced the lines that ran near the hipbone and down in a V to the crevice between leg and body, following it with his tongue as Kurt relaxed a little to lay boneless on the bed, letting Blaine do what he would. It was not something Kurt had anticipated when they had first made the decision to move forward with their relationship. Oh, Kurt had wanted the feeling of being close, of cuddling and being easy with Blaine's presence; but he thought just the acts of sex would be the closeness he craved – he hadn't realized that while the thrill of sex was amazing, it was the cuddling and shared quiet time - or the days he could pour his whole heart out to Blaine and Blaine would listen and understand - that Kurt would come to value the most. It was being able to completely relax and put himself in Blaine's hands, and trust Blaine to take care of him in every way. That part of Blaine's love was so much more than just the immediate lust for sexual contact.

All of this went through his brain at lightning speed as the feelings of want and needs and sexual craving were quickly replacing any coherent analytical thought. Kurt had originally thought that when they had sex, it would always be fifty-fifty, that with each act Blaine shared with him, he would reciprocate in kind, immediately. But after a year, they had found that the exact equal balance wasn't always what they wanted. Some days it was only Kurt, giving Blaine everything he could take and the joy of knowing he had brought his love all that pleasure, that he had given until Blaine was undone and exhausted and sated – that was the best thing that could happen and it wasn't necessary for Blaine to do it all back to him right then. There would be time another day for Kurt to be the one lying in Blaine's arms, so tired from coming and coming that he could do nothing but hold on to Blaine as he fell into a deep sleep. It had come as a shock to Kurt that he cherished the times he was giving that pleasure to Blaine more than the times he was receiving it from him.

“Kurt, where are you?” Blaine asked, looking at him with a puzzled face because Kurt's mind seemed to be far away.

“Oh, sorry....I was just thinking about what you said earlier, about us getting married one day. I want to, baby, so much. I want to wake up to you every day for the rest of my life,” Kurt smiled.

“I do, too,” Blaine whispered, kissing Kurt on his belly and getting a smile in return.

Blaine spread Kurt's legs apart, kissing the tender skin of his inner thigh as he moved his fingers along the other leg, slowly working towards the stiff cock waiting for him. He took the small tube and squeezed some of the now warm lubricant into his hand and smeared it across his fingers. Very gently he inserted one finger into Kurt, taking in a sharp breath when Kurt moaned his pleasure. Blaine was pushing his finger in with a gentle and slow movement, stroking Kurt's cock with his other hand as he went, eventually adding a second finger beside the first as he leaned forward to lap at the skin of his balls, sucking one into his mouth to move it with his tongue a little before doing the same to the other one. Kurt was listening to his heart as it tried to beat out of his chest at all the stimulation happening all at once. Blaine pulled his mouth back.

“Kurt, rub your nipples for me, pinch them a little the way you like me to do it,” Blaine instructed and hummed when Kurt complied. Blaine went back to licking the space behind Kurt's balls as he fingered him and stroked his cock. All of the stimulation was sending Kurt into a trance, all the raw sensation swirling in his lower back and into his belly with a fire he could feel building and building as his breath turned to panting in anticipation.

“Blaine, Blaine...stop. I want you, please, pleasepleaseplease....I want you inside me, baby...” he moaned as he reached down to try and tug Blaine closer to enter him.

“Okay, just a second,” Blaine said, smoothing the lubrication all over his cock in a thick coating, being careful because he was already so close to climaxing with Kurt's moans and sighs that filled the air. Blaine took Kurt's ankles and scooted his feet closer to his ass, giving him traction on the mattress, then spread his legs a little farther apart as Kurt moaned impatiently for Blaine to fill him.

“Okay, baby, here.....” Blaine whispered in a low voice as he lined up and began to push his cock into Kurt. There was a gasp, whether of surprise or lust Blaine couldn't tell, but he pushed slowly, waiting for Kurt to adjust every few seconds to make it easier until he was in. The look of lust on Kurt's face as Blaine pulled back and then pushed in was enough to make him hold his breath and close his eyes to keep from coming that second.

Blaine stopped moving, waiting until he had himself under control but Kurt's muscles were squeezing again and Blaine had to move, the rhythmic thrusting still slow, but thrilling just the same. They had only done this a few times since Kurt's birthday and the newness coupled with the feeling of being so close was more than either of them could control.

“Oh....ahhhh..ahhh....Blaine....stop......I don't want to come yet...” Kurt blurted, a whine in his voice that stopped Blaine in mid-thrust as he leaned forward, Kurt moving so their mouths met to kiss and rest for a moment before he settled back down in the pillow and Blaine pushed back into the soft, tight depths of the boy he loved. Twice more they stopped to make it last longer, but the third time it was too much for both of them and the burning need took over as Blaine thrust deep and Kurt met him with each push and this time Blaine had found the right angle and depth to make it the best and it was all going to explode in fireworks.....there was that tiny fraction of time when everything was at the peak just before the end, a split sliver of a second where both of them felt it – and it was the best and most and they froze and let it come over them by its own volition.......then they were both throbbing and spilling and calling to each other with all their hearts as their lust burst forth for those few seconds in time.

Then they were holding each other, Kurt curled into Blaine's side, his arms tight and Blaine was kissing the top of his head and whispering promises into his ear as he pulled the blankets once more around their ears, warm in their cocoon and safe from the world.

Several hours later, Kurt woke up, a bit confused at first when he didn't know where he was, just that Blaine was here with him – which was all that mattered – but curious where they were. Oh, yeah, in Blaine's old bedroom. Kurt sighed, knowing they had to rejoin the world, turn their phones back on, clean up before heading to their home in Lima. He wondered if they should talk about Sasha now or if it might be better to have someone else there – their friends Puck and Santana, or Grandma Sofie or Burt? He knew instinctively that bringing Blaine here was a good thing. He seemed so much more grounded when he played music and then the closeness of sex. Kurt laughed a little to himself, thinking how lucky he was that sex was one of the things that truly made Blaine feel better about himself. After making love like they just did, Blaine would be good for a week or more, no nightmares or PTSD spells usually. Maybe he should ask the therapist about that.

“Mmmmmm....Kurt...” Blaine mumbled in his sleep, giving his hips a thrust into Kurt's thigh. Kurt smiled. He hated to wake Blaine right now if he was having one of those dreams...

“Yes, baby? Want more?” Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear, giggling.

“Yes...mmmmmm... suck me, Kurt....lick me....” Blaine mumbled, a smile blossoming across his face.

Oh, really? Wow, the things you learn when you listen to someone talk in their sleep. He lifted Blaine's hand and let it fall. Yeah, still sound asleep. “Where, baby? Where do you want me to lick you?” Kurt asked, snuggling closer to his very naked boyfriend.

“My cock. It feels so goood....your tongue is so warm....and wet....ahhhh..” Blaine sighed in his sleep.

“Okay, baby.” Kurt moved the blanket back, finding Blaine hard and ready. He put his lips on the head of Blaine's cock, running his tongue over the top before sliding down and taking as much as he could. He sucked a little, swirling his tongue before hollowing his cheeks and pulling back to see if Blaine was appreciating this. Blaine's eyes flew open along with his mouth, staring at Kurt before his mouth turned into a smile.

“I was dreaming about you doing that, Kurt. How did you know?” Blaine asked, still a little stunned as Kurt began to lick the under side like a lollipop and cup his balls in his hand.

Kurt gave a small laugh, “You asked me to.”

Blaine's eyes got so huge it was comical. “I...I..what?”

“In your sleep, you asked me to suck your cock and lick you, your face was so sweet, I couldn't say no,” Kurt told him before taking Blaine into his mouth again. Blaine closed his eyes, twisting his fists in the blanket as Kurt got more serious in his quest to do what Blaine had asked for. It didn't take long, and Blaine was shouting Kurt's name as he filled his mouth, clenching his muscles tightly as Kurt swallowed as fast as he could and finishing by licking Blaine's cock in wide swaths until he had to tell Kurt to stop. They cuddled together again for a while, kissing and touching a little.

“Let's get a shower?” Kurt suggested and they reluctantly got up and walked down the hallway to the bathroom, sharing the warm water and standing close as they washed each other before toweling off and coming back to the bedroom to get dressed.

“Do you want to stay here or..?” Kurt asked, not sure how comfortable Blaine was.

“I'm okay here in the house, if that's what you mean. I don't want to go to the attic room, but other than that, I'm okay. Let's just go sit in the den. I always loved that room. It was my grandfather's …..oh, I guess I should say my great grandfather's room. You know we lived here with him when I was very little. He died when I was ten. I spent a lot of time with him, fishing or reading. He told stories about his adventures during the war – World War I. He was in the cavalry. C'mon, I'll show you,” Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand and going to the end of the hallway to a set of double oak doors and opening them up with a flourish.

“Nobody ever came in here much, either when he was living here and certainly not after he died. I would come to get away from my parents. Grandparents. Shit. It's messing my mind up to try and keep it straight: brother, parents, grandparents. Damn them,” Blaine shook his head as if that would order his thoughts.

“This is a wonderful room,” Kurt said, looking around. There were walnut paneled walls, two of the walls were bookcases and a large crystal light came from the ceiling. It was obviously an old gas light changed to be electric when the mansion was updated. There was a walnut desk dominating the corner farthest from the door with several overstuffed brocade chairs, one matching the velvet one in the attic room but in better condition. A leather chesterfield sat in front of the fireplace and French Aubusson rugs were scattered around the floor. On the walls not covered in bookcases were fishing poles, fly rods, and a rack of guns: shotguns, rifles and a few pistols all locked in the rack. Kurt turned to find a bear's head, mounted and growling with eyes bugging and teeth in a snarl. There were framed photographs of men on horses, mostly in uniform but a few taken in a hospital where most of the men had bandages and casts on various limbs. There was an old flag, folded into a triangle and displayed in a glass case on a shelf. Blaine let his hand touch the case and sighed as he walked around the room, looking at all the things he remembered from childhood. Kurt looked at the flag and read the little inscription on a brass plaque which said this was the flag from Captain George Breckville Anderson's casket. That must be the grandfather Blaine was so close to.

Blaine steered Kurt over to the chesterfield, sitting down in the deep leather cushion and pulling Kurt close. He wasn't sure how he felt at that moment, it was a mixture of sadness at missing the man he had spent so many days with in this room with some excitement at being able to show Kurt the things he had left behind. There was the fear that would probably never leave Blaine when he thought of what had happened to him in this house, but also the nostalgia of good times spent mostly with Cooper. It all felt like too much and Blaine sank farther down in the cushions, nuzzling into Kurt's neck and just breathing as Kurt stroked his back, carding fingers through his curls.

“You know I'll never leave you, Blaine. You're my life, my love. You know that. Don't you?” Kurt asked.

“Yes, and you are mine. Always.” Blaine whispered.

“Okay. But you need to think about something now, and it's important. You need to think about what you're feeling about Sasha. I know it's hard, but Blaine, I don't think this is going away. We don't have to do it right now, but we do have to talk about her soon.” Kurt said, hating himself for knowingly upsetting Blaine, but also sad it had to be done. Was there no end to the heart-wrenching things Blaine had to go through? He braced himself for whatever came next.

“Kurt, I have been thinking....and I need to talk it over with you because I trust you and I love you. It's about Cooper and Sasha....”