Kurt helped Blaine get ready and into his chair, then they went out to check on the pool guy. His was facing away from the boys, his tanned muscular back flexing as he picked up a large bottle of some sort of chemical and poured it into the filter by the pool. In spite of his facing away, Kurt knew who it was immediately. The mohawk was a dead giveaway.

“Puck!” Kurt smiled as the pool guy turned around.

“Hey, Kurt, Blaine, what are you doing here?”

“Ah, we kind of live here,” Kurt smiled. The look on Puck's face was priceless.

“Here? Really? I've been cleaning this pool for years, it belongs to a cute little cougar named Bitsy. I was just finishing up.”

Blaine got a funny grin on his face.

Puck blanched. “Is she..is she here? I only saw Coop.”

Blaine's grin left his face and he didn't look happy at all. “She isn't here right now, Puck. She moved to Istanbul for a while on business. With her husband.”

“You know Cooper?” Kurt asked, trying to lead the conversation in another direction.

“Yeah, like I said, I've been cleaning this pool for years...Cooper was the one that caught Bitsy and I...” Puck started coughing after looking at Blaine's stare. “Ah, talking one day. Yeah, talking.”

Blaine was still staring at Puck. “That is my mother you're talking about, Noah. Bitsy is my MOTHER.”

Kurt just pretended to ignore it, going on to tell Puck the plans for the party. Finn walked out from the kitchen with some snacks and a cooler of drinks with him. Rachel was there, too, and everyone took a seat around the pool. Kurt and Blaine explained about the party, and finally the boys put Aramis on his leash and they left for a walk.

Puck leaned over to Finn, “I didn't know you guys lived here. I knew it was the Anderson's, but I never put two and two together and thought about it being Blaine's house. I was surprised when Cooper called me, I though him catching me with his mom would have banned me for life...”

Rachel, who heard everything, just gave Puck one of her looks and he shut up. She was still steamed about his getting everyone drunk at her party months ago. But they all decided to go play video games in the gameroom and left the patio.

Cooper straightened his tie. He had been thinking of wearing just some jeans and a nice shirt, but he wanted to make a better impression on the Jonses. He reached out and knocked on the door. Tice opened it, but said Mercedes wasn't home, she was over at the mall. Cooper smiled and said he was there to see Mrs Jones. Tice's eyes got big and he led Coop to the dining room where his mother was sitting at the table.

“Mr Anderson,” she said, indicating he could sit across from her.

“Please, call me Cooper, Mrs. Jones.” he said very formally.

“Then you can call me Miss Jo, everyone does,” she said, a small smile on her face. “Mr Jones is at the office. Would you like a cup of tea and some cookies? Mercedes made them.”

“Thank you, Miss Jo. I'd love to.”

And at the end of an hour, Miss Jo was much better informed about Cooper's life and family. She already knew that Burt and Carole Hummel thought the world of him, and her Mercedes was very infatuated by him. She wasn't happy about the age difference, but it wasn't insurmountable. Besides, Mercedes was turning 18 next month, so she was almost of age and was probably ready to make her own decisions.

It helped that Cooper had called and asked to speak with her before he asked her daughter out. He was a successful businessman and quite charming on the surface. She would withhold judgment until she knew him better, but for now he could ask Mercedes out.

The day of the party dawned bright and hot. Blaine woke up first for once, not wanting to disturb Kurt, he tried to lie still, but he finally had to admit defeat. He leaned over and kissed Kurt's neck.

“Mmmffflgg” Kurt responded. Blaine kissed a little more. “Okay, I'm up.” Kurt sat up in bed. He was never one to just lie around in bed lolly-gagging before he knew Blaine, so the tendency must have been contagious.

Blaine moving to the edge of the bed, swinging his feet over and Kurt lifted him carefully. They had a bad night, with Blaine having to have extra pain medications and waking up several times. They took care of the morning routine and Kurt brought Blaine back to sit on the bed while they decided which clothes to wear.

Kurt opened the closet, looking at the rows of neatly hung shirts, jackets, trousers, and suits. He had to admit that although he had been cautious about having Mrs. Shaw move in, it had turned out to be a godsend. She was a large woman, quite older than Kurt had anticipated, and wore kind of old-fashioned dresses and shoes. But she had an open mind and loved to discuss new age health options about aroma therapy and diet with Kurt. She was no push-over and stood her ground, but was willing to compromise if Kurt could substantiate his facts. He had first come to admire her in a grudging way, then just gave up and fell in love with her. Blaine knew he would, and he kidded Kurt about it mercilessly.

The one thing that was non-negotiable in Kurt's mind was Blaine's care. Mrs. Shaw had known Blaine since he was born, so she felt she had a prior claim on him. Blaine was very quiet on the subject, not wanting to upset either one. But even in this, Kurt and Mrs Shaw came to an understanding. Kurt still did most of the caregiving, but Mrs Shaw was there when Kurt was tired or busy and it worked out well. Finn was spending more time with the boys, Rachel was busy with rehearsals and schoolwork, although school hadn't started yet, but she went through these moods. Kurt found he had more time now that cleaning, laundry, and most of the cooking had been taken over by Mrs Shaw, plus she was a wizard when it came to taking care of high-end fashion pieces. Kurt's dry cleaning bill had all but disappeared.

Puck had come over early to help decorate. Finn, Puck, and Kurt were by the pool, taping up paper streamers and balloons. There were plenty of chairs and places for people to sit, the grill was hot and ready for the burgers and brats, the food was set out, and pool accessories – towels, sunscreen, moisturizers, were set up in the pool house.

Most of their friends had been to visit, the Warblers had known Blaine long before Kurt did, and the New Directions had all had occasion to visit. They came in bunches, talking and laughing, spread out across the yard. Puck and Finn were in charge of the grill, there was a huge table with all the salads and fruit and drinks. They even had a keg, hidden away in the back of the pool house for discrete sipping.

At last, Mercedes made her debut....walking into the yard on the arm of Blaine's brother, Cooper. She hadn't known about the party ahead of time, so her face was just perfect in her surprise. She hugged Blaine and Kurt, brushing happy tears away as she smiled. It was perfect.

Everyone swam that day, Santana, Quinn, Sugar, and Brittney in their skimpy little bikinis, laughing as Wes, David, Jeff, Nick, and Finn splashed them. Tina and Mike had a sort of diving competition, joined by Lauren and Rory. Artie was just home from vacation in California with a sweet tan, and he and Blaine were sitting in their wheelchairs in deep conversation, Kurt sitting behind Blaine, leaning over the back of the wheelchair with his arms around him. Mr Schue even showed up, doing an impromptu dance with Mike and falling into the pool.

Artie had on his swimming trunks and Puck helped him into the pool. He was able to float with the help of a tube, and joined the splashing and fun. Blaine just sat there by the pool, watching. He had a smile on his face, but Kurt hadn't even thought to take him in the pool. They had done the hot tub, but not the swimming pool.

“Hey, you want to get in the pool?” Kurt asked him.

“I don't know if I can still swim. I'm.....kinda scared,” he whispered back.

“I'll be there, let's try?” Kurt encouraged. He wheeled Blaine back to their room to change into trunks. Kurt brought him back to poolside, slathered him with sunscreen, and got Coop to help. Kurt slid into the shallow end of the water and Cooper lifted Blaine up and passed him to Kurt. They had a safety jacket just in case, but Blaine was fine. Kurt held him and he was able to move around. Maybe not swim yet, but that wasn't necessary. All the girls saw him in the pool and came to take turns helping him around the shallow end.

Cooper got in the water next to Kurt. “Sheesh! I wish I was him right now. All those girls in skimpy beachwear, all fawning over the kid. And he is just not enjoying it the way I would....”

Kurt splashed Coop in the face, then dived under the water to avoid repercussions, surfacing a good deal away. Coop just laughed. Mercedes came up in back of him and put her hands on his head and dunked him.

“Oh, I see how it is, Coop....getting your girlfriend to fight your battles, huh?” Kurt yelled. Mercedes just laughed.

The music played, the guests danced, swam, and ate. It was a great party, the best of the whole summer. They all started going home about midnight, straggling out in groups of two or three. Kurt took Blaine back to their room and got him ready for bed.

“Oh, that was the best party, Kurt. I missed doing that so much,” he said in a tired voice. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

“It was your idea, you know. I just decorated. Hey, Mercedes seemed to have a good time, didn't she? I didn't get much chance to talk to her, she was so wrapped up in your brother.”

“Yeah, that still seems to be a little strange to me, but they both seem happy – if the amount of kissing that was going on was any indication. Sheesh, I thought I was going to have to tell them to get a room!”

Kurt just laughed. “Yeah, well, they said the same thing about us, so who are we to judge?”

“Are they still out there? Last I saw they were looking at the moon and Finn and Rachel were just leaving. I think they were the last ones.”

“I asked Mercy if she needed a lift home, but Coop said he's taking care of it.” Kurt smiled. He was overjoyed that Mercedes was so happy. She deserved it.

Kurt slid into bed beside Blaine, automatically wrapping his arms around him. Blaine snuggled into Kurt's chest, a sigh of contentment escaping his lips. “C'mere, Little Spoon,” Kurt said softly, turning Blaine so his back was against Kurt's chest. Blaine loved it when Kurt said that, and hummed another contented sound. Kurt kissed his hair, hugging him closer for a second before relaxing. “Goodnight, baby.”

"Goodnight, kitten." Blaine said, closing his eyes in contentment.

In the pool house, Cooper gave Mercedes another cup of beer. She wasn't drunk, Coop was careful of that, but she was feeling a bit more free.

“Hey, let's check out your hot tub, okay?” she asked her new boyfriend. “I've never actually been in a hot tub before.” So, Coop led her to the enclosure and handed her into the tub. He went back to lock the gate, then stepped to the tub, removing his trunks before getting in. Mercedes eyes were wide open.

“Ah..Cooper? What...are we skinny dipping now?” she said in a quiet voice.

“Only if you want to. Or I can put them back on if it bothers you?”

“No, it's fine. Perfectly fine.” she stuttered.

“You can take yours off if you want, it's just us. I have the only key,” he assured her, nodding at the locked gate and twirling the key that dangled from a chain around his neck. He's gotten it from Kurt that morning.

Mercedes gathered her courage. “Only if you help me.”

And so, Coop went over to her and undid the string bow on her swimsuit. He peeled it off of her, accompanied by caressing and kissing. By the time the suit was off, Mercedes was in his lap, kissing him and stroking his face. Coop lost no time in returning the favor.

Several hours later, Blaine was moaning in his sleep – and not a good moan. He was twitching and jerking and felt warm. This was not unusual, he was probably having a nightmare, so Kurt got up very quietly and brought him a glass of warm milk and his pain medication. He stroked his face very gently, speaking softly until Blaine opened his eyes.

“It's okay, baby, just take a few sips of this. You were just dreaming. I have you, Blaine, you're safe and I'm not going anywhere.” It was almost a mantra by now. Blaine sipped the milk, leaned back against Kurt, and took a few more sips. Kurt put the empty cup beside the bed. It was warm in the room, but not too hot, so he decided to just open the French doors off the patio. The night was quiet...it must be about 1 or 2 in the morning, Kurt thought. He stepped out to look at the stars. Then he began to hear voices...coming from the hot tub enclosure. He heard the unmistakable sounds of two people, sounding very aroused, panting and moaning and squealing. Kurt blushed, and wondered who it could be. He had seen his dad and Carole take a nice soak in the tub, but he doubted they would be there at this time of night. It didn't sound like Finn and Rachel...Finn had been very vocal just a few days ago that Rachel was a prude and he was dying of blue balls. Then the squealing started again, and he knew that voice. It was Mercedes. And he remembered the circumstances he had heard her make that sound.....and his body was starting to react to it.

Kurt was close to panic. He finally recalled that she was dating Cooper. And Coop had gotten the key to the gate from him earlier. But was this what he thought it was? Were they having sex on the chaise lounge at the back of the hot tub enclosure? He did NOT want to think about it. At all. He closed the doors, and got back in bed with Blaine, trying to shut that sound out of his brain. He had no desire to have sex with Mercedes. It was just a memory reflex or something. So he scooted close to Blaine and buried his nose in those beautiful curls, stroking Blaine's chest, down his sides. Blaine reacted in his sleep, turning to face Kurt and kissing his neck, up his chin, and was awake by the time their lips met.

“Kurt?” Blaine whispered. “Are you...okay?”

“Yes, I just want you right now. Are you too tired?”

“No” Blaine answered, his hands no longer hesitating as he swept over Kurt's ass cheeks, squeezing hard into the muscles, kissing and licking his neck. He flipped Kurt over, leaning his head on Kurt's back as he ran his hands down the backs of his thighs, up the soft skin inside the thighs. “What do you want? What do you need me to do?” he barely whispered, never taking his palms from Kurt's skin.

Kurt was almost paralyzed, trapped between fear and need. He closed his eyes, “Blaine....I just need you. Anything, just don't stop touching me.”

Blaine rubbed Kurt harder, going up and down his back, loosening muscles and leaving kisses behind in a heated path. He nudged Kurt's hip, asking him to turn over and began massaging his chest, paying particular attention to his nipples until he heard the sigh and beginnings of a moan. He just barely touched the skin as he moved his hand to Kurt's belly, going down to touch the base of his cock. He leaned over in back of himself for the lube in the bedside table drawer and buttered the fingers of his left hand. He took up where he had left off, stroking with his dry right hand, leaning over to take it in his mouth, sending sensation to Kurt's brain to moan again. Blaine moved Kurt's legs apart a little, not stopping the pumping motion or his tongue on the cock in his mouth. But he moved the fingers of his left hand to the split between the cheeks and began a gentle rubbing. Kurt was so hard by now, he was shaking. Blaine slowly introduced his finger to the entrance, moving in a circle to stimulate the ring of muscle there. Then inside to the heated core. He waited a few seconds, until he felt the muscles relax and started a rhythm, the same rhythm as his right hand.

Blaine could smell the seductive odor of Kurt's arousal, and it made Blaine's breath come in small pants, but he soon controlled it, hollowing his cheeks to give Kurt more stimulation. This was about Kurt, about his need and Blaine had no thought about his own for now. His heart was so full, and though he didn't have room to give it analytical thought, serving Kurt's desperate need was the most fulfilling thing Blaine knew how to do.

“Oh....oh....Blaine...baby, baby, ..I'm close, so close, Oh..” Kurt was babbling. It made Blaine's heart practically stop. So much need. So he moved another finger inside, reaching carefully to stroke the place he knew would make Kurt climax, make him scream Blaine's name, fill his need in the way only Blaine could.... and the heat and power that began deep in Kurt's belly was swirling, growing larger and flowing into Kurt's toes and up into his chest, warming and making the love expand until he came, Blaine swallowing as fast as he could, still stroking, sucking, moving in Kurt's rhythm until it was over and Kurt just collapsed.

Blaine wiped his face of the saliva and semen, dripping from his mouth. He moved to turn Kurt towards himself, pulling him into a soft embrace until he stopped shivering, stopped crying. He didn't know what brought on the need, just that he, Blaine, was the only one who could fix it. And he felt very blessed that in spite of how broken he might be, he could be whole for Kurt. He didn't hardly realize that he had been so caught up in Kurt's release, he had come, too. He just moved them over to a dry place on the bed and wrapped himself in the warm arms of his soul mate. Kurt kissed his head and fell asleep. "I love you, kitten," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear.

“Happy Birthday, Mercedes,” Cooper whispered into her ear, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Cooper Anderson,” she replied as they walked up the stairs to his room.