Kurt walked slowly along the edge of the water, calm morning waves lapping at his bare feet. The beach was deserted this early in the day, the dance halls and amusements closed until the evening.

With his pants rolled up above his knees, and his shoes dangling from one hand, Kurt took a couple steps into the water, feeling it eddy around his shins. The sand below his feet shifted with the pull of the waves, and Kurt just closed his eyes, feeling the ocean breeze against his face.

Gulls swooped and called, but didn't pay him much attention. Looking out across the water, Kurt felt alone but not lonely. He felt at peace. The beach always made him feel this way.

Ten minutes later, Kurt reached his favorite rock. It was in the shallow waves, but easy to climb to keep dry. The morning sun had warmed it, and Kurt stretched out, lying in the sun with the soothing sounds of the waves swirling around his rock.

Reaching into his pocket, Kurt pulled out the most recent letter, and opened it carefully. It had been a delightful surprise when he had received the first one, back in February. He had eagerly replied and they had kept up their correspondence on a fairly regular weekly basis.

Blaine had been travelling for months, going off course to explore natural wonders and historic places. He was now in Utah, and Kurt laughed at his descriptions of the huge Saltair resort on the southern shores of the Great Salt Lake.

Looking over at the Santa Monica pier in the distance, Kurt could only see how similar it was to the resort Blaine described. Large beaches, full of people enjoying swimming in the salty water, bath houses to change into swimming costumes, huge dance halls packed with couples swirling in time to the big bands.

He had never swum in that inland salty lake. Blaine described how buoyant he had been, floating so easily. He had a way with words, and Kurt practically felt like he was there, with him. And his heart ached at the thought.

It was touching he missed the most. Not spending time together, eating meals together, waking up together. Those things were wonderful too. But it was the touching that he was missing now.

It wasn't even the sex, although that had been great. Enthusiastic, sensual times when he sunk into a world of sensation. Two bodies, naked and vulnerable to each other, trusting, concentrating on pleasing each other. A wonderful connection.

It was the hours of touching without any sensual intent, sometimes while talking, sometimes not. And Blaine had loved it too, soaking up it up, his skin starved for the connection.

Maybe it was why humans had evolved to be almost naturally hairless. More skin, more nerves, more sensation. More ways to connect. To feel.

Were they both a bit starved for contact? Blaine had been raised by distant parents who cared more about image than showing true love to their children. Burt had been a great father, but Kurt had missed the frequent cuddles from his mother after she died.

They weren't children any more, hadn't been for years. Did those old days of casual neglect still resonate?

Yes. Like a whisper echoing down an empty tunnel, seeming to never diminish. It echoed into deep-rooted beliefs of self-worth and lovability. Could he ever truly love anyone? Could anyone ever truly love him? Was what he had shared with Blaine real, true love?

Even now, his heart wasn't easily touched. Since he had ended their handfasting, Kurt had been around other men. Sometimes even felt a small pull of attraction, but he had held back. Elliott had certainly pursued him hard, but Kurt had kept him at bay, and soon left to do the play in New York.

Seeing Blaine in New York again had been wonderful. To know he understood, and still cared. That they still had their old connection. But what now? Would it ever be more?

Tears steamed down Kurt's face as he put the letter back into the envelope, and tucked it into his jacket pocket. Close to his heart.

---

"Sheesh, would you just call the bloke already? Invite him here for a holiday or something." Charlie got up to pour himself another glass of wine.

Chuckling, Kurt put the letter he had been reading back into its envelope and stashed it in his bag. "He's out exploring. Just his Model T and lots of new roads."

At least he had kept in touch. Kurt's heart always skipped a beat when he saw his familiar handwriting on an envelope in the post. It was a bit lonely working in LA. He gotten friendly with the cast and crew of the theatre, and having Charlie here helped, but it wasn't the same.

Taking a large sip of his drink, Charlie grinned at his friend. "Are you a man or have you changed into a girl from dressing up as one so much? Are you going to moon around here, waiting for him to show up?"

"Are you deaf, you git? He's travelling! I don't know where he is." Kurt used his British accent, hoping the message would get through better. He had met Charlie years ago, when working the English music halls with Paul. Since then, Charlie had gained in popularity, and had been working more in the US.

Giving Kurt a considering look, Charlie shrugged. "But he's getting closer, isn't he? Last letter he was in Nevada."

"Yeah, I guess so." Kurt smoothed on his lotion, and flopped back under the large umbrella.

Charlie smirked again. "He writes the descriptions well. Makes me want to go some of those places."

Kurt cracked an eye open and flicked the brim of his hat up to glare at his friend. "Did you read my letters?" His glare was the iciest one in his arsenal.

"Just the parts about his travels, I swear!" Charlie let out a yelp as Kurt jumped off the lounge chair and headed towards him. He dashed to the other side of the hotel swimming pool, chuckling. "I didn't read any of the parts when he talked about how he misses your blue eyes and where he wants to lick champagne off you."

Kurt's longer legs served him well, and he shoved Charlie hard, feeling satisfied at the big splashing sound his old friend made as he fell into the deep end of the pool. He stomped back to his lounge chair, settling back in.

Moments later, Charlie was siting on the lounge chair next to his, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. "Run some lines with me, OK?"

Lowering his magazine, Kurt let out a frustrated huff. Charlie was like a little brother at times, always wanting to be the centre of attention. He was two years younger than Kurt, and times like this he really felt it. "You don't have lines, idiot. It's a silent movie."

Charlie rolled his eyes, giving Kurt his best beseeching face. "Then run 'scenes' with me, please?"

Kurt gave in with a nod, setting his magazine down.

"Great. Now you just sit there and act like a pretty girl. You're used to doing that." Charlie jumped up, out of slapping range, with a chuckle.

Kurt didn’t even bother reacting much to that. “Wanker,” he grumbled under his breath, as he sat on the end of the lounger, crossing his legs and moving into a more feminine posture. Even without the wig, make-up and dress, Kurt had the tiny mannerisms down that made his act so believable.

“You’re really good at that, Kurt. You should work with me in movies.” Charlie actually seemed genuine in his comment.

It wasn’t the first friend from Vaudeville who had suggested this. “I sing and I do accents, Charlie. I don’t think silent movies are exactly the best place to showcase my talents.”

Charlie shook his head. “You’re very expressive! Not just your face, but your body language.”

“Yeah, yeah… Let’s get on with this.” Kurt went back into his feminine pose.

One thing that could be said for Charlie was that he was very professional, and got down to work with real commitment. His posture changed too, making him seem smaller, awkward. He looked around with a more naïve gaze, and when it travelled over Kurt, he almost seemed to stagger slightly.

The actions made Kurt giggle a little, despite himself.

Charlie went on to playing a silly game of flirty looks, looking everywhere but at Kurt, and then giving him a direct look, blinking slowly like he was a bit entranced. He reached down and picked a tiny dandelion from a crack in the pavement near his feet, holding the poor, trampled flower towards Kurt.

The bent stem couldn’t hold the golden head up, and the flower lilted to the side pathetically. Kurt couldn’t help but giggle at Charlie’s disappointed expression.

“Are you trying to steal my man?” A low voice growled from behind Kurt.

Twisting around so fast he almost fell off his chair, Kurt couldn’t keep the grin off his face at seeing Blaine leaning against the fence. His curly hair was longer than it had been in New York, and he was wearing sunglasses with a light coloured casual suit.

Jumping up, Kurt was standing right in front of him in a few seconds. “You’re really here? Really?”

Blaine chuckled, taking off the sunglasses. “Yup, it’s really me.”

Kurt grabbed him, hugging him tight. He wanted to do more, but being in public, they had to be careful. He settled for turning his face into Blaine’s neck, inhaling deeply, just taking him in.

“Are you going to introduce us?” A British voice brought Kurt out of the hug, and he couldn’t stop grinning.

“Charlie, this is Blaine. Blaine, Charlie.” The men shook hands, measuring each other up with the firmness of their handshakes and eye contact. Charlie had known Kurt longer, but Blaine knew him better.

Grabbing his notebooks and pencils, Charlie packed them into his bag. “Well, I hope you’ll be sticking around for a while, as I’d like to get to know you. But I’m going to make myself scarce now. You two have some catching up to do, I’m sure.”

Kurt couldn’t dispute that, and he gave his friend a nod as he left.

Blaine stepped close. “Is there somewhere we can be alone? I really want to kiss you hello properly.”

His low voiced request went right through Kurt, and he grabbed Blaine’s hand, leaving his magazine, towel and other things behind. Pretty soon, they were in Kurt’s room and Blaine practically threw Kurt onto the bed before crawling over him. Their kisses were hard and deep, hungry.

---

Blaine chuckled as Kurt spooned behind him, pulling him close. "Have you noticed how much...um...hotter it is between us the last couple times?"

Stopping in his lazy kisses against Blaine's neck, Kurt gave him a little nip with his teeth. "Well, of course. I don't know about you, but I haven't been with anyone else. It's been months for me. Absence doesn't only affect the heart." He teasingly thrust against Blaine's ass.

"Maybe that's the key to 'us'." Blaine said quietly, like he was thinking to himself.

Kurt pulled on his shoulder until Blaine rolled onto his back. Brushing the curls off his forehead, Kurt gave him an inquiring look. "What do you mean?"

Blaine looked a little mischievous. "Maybe I should be away from you more often. Just come by for a wild weekend, here and there."

Kurt liked his playfulness, but wasn't too fond of the idea. "I don't know, Blaine. I don't think I could take you coming and going like that."

"What if we took out the uncertainty? I went away, but you knew when I was coming back?" Blaine was looking more serious now; his hazel eyes searching Kurt's.

Feeling a bit confused, Kurt tried to think of living like that. "What do you have in mind?"

"I have news. I was going to write to you about it, but decided to come out here instead. I wanted to discuss it, face to face." He looked excited, and Kurt felt honored that Blaine wanted to share his big news with him.

Kurt squeezed his hand. "Tell me!"

Blaine sat up, the sheet pooling in his lap. "I got a book deal."

Out of all the things Blaine could have said, this was not anything Kurt had expected. "A book deal...?"

Laughing at Kurt's confused expression, Blaine gave him a quick peck on the lips, clearly excited and happy. "You look too cute like that."

"Come on, Anderson. Details, please. You're killing me here."

Blaine hugged his bent knees. "When I left the circuit last year, I travelled around a fair bit, and I ended keeping in touch with Jimmy. We'd write about the places we had been, and he kept commenting about how much he liked my letters. Said I was a good writer."

Kurt nodded. Jimmy and Blaine had certainly grown close while Blaine was in vaudeville, doing small trips together so often.

"Well, after Christmas, I sold most of my old stuff at the hotel and with my savings, I had enough for a car. I travelled even more then, and I kept a detailed journal about it. An old family friend in New York is on publishing, so I sent them an excerpt and they loved it." Blaine grinned as he finished.

It made sense, but it was amazing that Blaine had even thought if doing it. "So, you describe your travels in the book?"

"It's actually more of a guidebook for automobile travellers. You know that the roads aren't very well marked and very twisty. So, I give very detailed directions. But also interesting information about the area and it's history. There's even a section on getting yourself out of trouble."

Kurt reached over and gave Blaine a long hug. "I love it. It suits you perfectly and I can see you are really excited about it."

There was something different in Blaine, in the way he carried himself, in the directness of the way he spoke. He was a man who knew himself better now, knew his abilities and felt confident in them. It was very, very attractive.

He was truly happy to see Blaine like this. Busy in his own venture, doing what he loved. But would it work for them? Blaine would be travelling for his job, and Kurt moved around a lot too, as he got offers.

Taking Kurt's hand, Blaine caught his gaze, looking intense. "How much longer is your run?"

"Well, it got extended until the end of July. Ticket sales have been good." Kurt had been surprised at the popularity of the show.

Blaine squeezed his hand. "Perfect. Well, I was thinking of covering Southern California. Maybe, if it's OK with you, I could use this as a home base and travel from here? I'd probably be back at least once a week for a night or two."

Kurt smiled at the thought. "So, I'm going to see you every week for the summer?"

"Do you think we could make this work, Kurt? I know it's kind of crazy, but you are who I want to be with whenever I can be. You're home to me, where ever you are." Blaine's eyes were full of his feelings, afraid of being hurt but bravely putting himself out there.

Kurt bit his lip, thinking about it. Could he take only seeing Blaine, being with Blaine, sporadically? But what were the other options? Never seeing him at all, or trying to get him to be a part of whatever Kurt was doing, and be unfulfilled?

This way, Blaine and Kurt could follow their dreams, do what they love, and be together when they could.

Feeling a little scared, a little nervous, Kurt gave a small nod. "I think it could work, Blaine. We would be together when we can be, and write letters to each other when we can't be together."

Blaine cuddled closer. "It could be very romantic, writing each other love letters. And then when we are together..." His voice dropped, and his dark eyes were on Kurt's mouth.

Licking his lips, Kurt felt the kick of arousal at how Blaine watched him. Leaning closer, he pushed Blaine down flat on the bed, pushing a leg between his and lying down. Kissing and biting along Blaine's neck. The chemistry between them was still strong, as strong as that first night in Paris.

---

Kurt’s eyes prickled with tears as the curtain came down for the last time, and he rubbed a finger below his eye to capture the moisture before it wrecked his make-up. Taking a deep breath, he turned to his co-stars, and they walked off stage, arm in arm.

In his dressing room, Kurt took off his wig and make-up, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Proud that the play had been well received and had a long run. Sad that this was the last show, and soon he wouldn’t be seeing the people he had worked with so intensely the last few months. It was the nature of the business, and he frequently ran into people he had worked with in the past, but it was hard to keep close friendships up when you moved around so often.

There was a knock on the door, and Kurt glanced down. He was still in full costume, the dress, the corset, the heels. It looked funny with his short hair and clean face. Shrugging, Kurt went to the door.

“Blaine!” Kurt opened the door wider, very shocked. “But you were in San Diego… you couldn’t come…”

Strong arms were wrapping around him tight, lifting him off the floor slightly in enthusiasm. The door slammed shut behind them with a firm kick from his boyfriend. “I couldn’t stay away. I rushed to finish up my work so I could watch your final performance. You were incredible.”

Pulling back, Kurt blinked fast, looking into his warm hazel eyes. Cupping his cheek, Kurt leaned in to kiss those full lips, feeling his heart thumping, feeling a bit out of breath. He didn’t care, going in for kiss after kiss, never getting enough.

Chuckling, Blaine eased away, his hands cupping Kurt’s upper arms. “Let’s get you out of this corset before you pass out.” He turned Kurt around, his fingers quickly undoing the dress and lifting it off. He passed it to Kurt and went to work loosening the tight laces of the corset, and Kurt was able to breath fully again.

With a grateful look, Kurt slipped behind the screen in the corner and changed into his new suit. It was a dark charcoal grey, in a fine material tailored to his slim frame. He walked to the mirror to tie the blue tie, and fix his hair, conscious the whole time of Blaine watching him with an appreciative eye.

Turning around, Blaine was right there. Kurt sat on the edge of his make-up table, and put his hands on Blaine’s waist to tug him closer. Standing between Kurt’s legs, Blaine tilted Kurt’s chin up, his smile wide and happy. “You know I just want to take you back to the hotel, but what do you want? Is there a wrap party? Do you want to get a late supper?” He had been around performers enough to know the strange hours they kept.

Kurt smiled at his consideration. “I am a little hungry. The cast and crew are meeting at a nearby restaurant for a late meal. Would that be OK?”

Blaine nodded. They both straightened their clothes, and checked that they weren’t too obviously mussed up.

---

Back at the hotel, Kurt smiled to himself as he unlocked the door, and then took Blaine’s hand to lead him inside. How many hotel rooms had they shared in the last couple years? All those cheap places on the vaudeville circuit, with drafty windows and peeling paint. Kurt was doing better these days, staying in nicer hotels that offered reasonable long-term rates.

The tension that had built all evening had them quickly stripping now, eyes hungry on each other in the dim light streaming in from a streetlight. Down to his underwear, Kurt chuckled when Blaine basically tackled him, landing breathless on the bed with this wonderful man on top of him. Kissing, touching, eager for everything. Desire rushed through Kurt, easily matching Blaine’s intensity, and his hands pulled at his remaining clothes until they were naked together. Finally.

Every time it was like this. Flirting and teasing in their letters to each other. Subtle hints at what they wanted to do next time. Days of pondering the sexy suggestions, feelings building, tension bubbling up while they both counted the days until they could be together again.

Kurt hadn’t been expecting Blaine to be back in LA for a couple more days. That he had rushed to share Kurt’s closing night made him feel cherished. And he wasn’t afraid to show his appreciation for it.

Blaine’s groans were so good to hear, and Kurt couldn’t help but grin against his skin as he kissed his way up the sensitive skin of his inner thigh. His hands kept stroking, keeping Blaine on the edge, writhing under Kurt’s teasing lips and tongue. Tonight, he wanted to taste every inch of his skin. Wanted Blaine to moan his name, ragged and a bit desperate. Nipped hard enough at his skin to make him jump, and a bright red mark appeared. Kurt kissed it reverently, proud, and thought Mine. And the thought warmed him, spreading outward.

---

Sated, wrapped tight together, Blaine nuzzled against Kurt’s shoulder. “You really haven’t tanned that much, being in California all these months.”

Spreading a hand out over Blaine’s forearm, Kurt could see the contrast, even in the dim light coming in from the street. “You have been travelling around with the top down, for hours and hours most days. If I’m outside, I’m usually under a big umbrella.”

“Except for your mornings on the beach. Will you show me your special spot? I want to see it before we go.” Blaine asked, tilting his face up to Kurt’s.

Nodding, Kurt leaned closer to kiss Blaine lightly. “Yes, I’d like that. Tomorrow morning?”

Blaine agreed and snuggled in closer, both of them soon drifting off to sleep.

---

The beach was still mostly deserted at the early hour of the morning. Kurt held Blaine’s hand as they walked, waves swirling around their ankles. “I am truly going to miss this. I really love the ocean.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful. I understand. But I think when you look hard enough, you can find beautiful places where ever you go.”

Looking back at Blaine, Kurt could see how the last few years had changed him. He had gone from a sheltered rich boy, to a man who had travelled all over the country, seeing so many things, making his own way. “You know, I see things differently when we are together. I travelled a lot with Vaudeville, but seeing how curious you get about the places we went makes me look at things with fresh eyes.”

“Philadelphia is next. I know you’ve toured through there several times, but did you ever really explore it?” Blaine had already planned many things he wanted to see firsthand.

Kurt shook his head. Staying a few months in one place was a lot different than a few hasty days. The demands of Vaudeville travel were tiring, and his energies had mostly been directed towards his performances. “I saw the Liberty Bell with Melanie.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “Well, we won’t run out of things to check out.”

They reached Kurt’s rock, and he climbed on top, dangling his feet off the side to make room for Blaine to settle beside him. Occasional waves splashed their lower legs. Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine, tugging him close and leaning his head against his shoulder.

“Are you really OK with coming out to Philadelphia with me, Blaine? I don’t want it to be like before when you were on the Vaudeville tour, doing it only to be with me.” Kurt said it softly, looking out over the water. It was his deepest worry, and it was the scariest part of leaving California. Things had been working for them so well here. Would it work somewhere else, or would the old problems arise again?

Blaine let out a deep breath, taking Kurt’s right hand in his to play with his fingers. “I think so, Kurt. Now that you are staying in the same spot for a few months at a time, it works well with my work. I have time to thoroughly explore the area, making all my notes. My publisher wants me eventually to have books out for all the major cities, and those are likely ones you will work in, sooner or later.”

Kurt put a hand on Blaine’s cheek, turning his face to his, and searched his eyes. “As long as you are doing what is best for your career too. There will likely be times when I’ll go back to a city you’ve already covered.”

“Well, then there might be times when we are apart more often. Maybe we’ll just have to hop on a train to meet in the middle for a day or two, if we are working in different areas. Write more letters.” Blaine said, his eyes calm.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Kurt just shook his head. “Will that work?”

Blaine chuckled. “We were apart for most of a year, and I think we were able to handle it. I want to try. Do you?”

Kurt meet Blaine’s warm hazel eyes, so full of caring. With all they had been through, he was still here, holding Kurt’s hand and wanting to try for a future, together. Knowing they would have challenges, but willing to face them. Willing to give Kurt another chance. So brave. So wonderful. “Yes, I do.” Kurt’s voice wasn’t too steady as he said the words, and Blaine squeezed his hand in support.

Blaine looked incredibly happy. He leaned down and kissed their clasped hands. "I still carry a piece of your mothers silk scarf with me every day. It started to fall apart, being in my pocket, no matter how carefully I washed it. So I sipped a piece off and put it into a metal business card holder." He pulled out the slim case from his breast pocket, and showed Kurt the tattered scrap of silk inside, before tucking it back into it's place.

Kurt smiled at that. He reached for his pocket watch, opening it to gaze down at Blaine's initials. "I still look at your initials every time I open this." He brushed a finger lovingly over the worn engraving, and it took him back to that Saturday night on Titanic. Lighting a candle together, making their vows.

Taking a deep breath, Blaine let it out slowly, his eyes on Kurt's. "I love you, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, and I swear this oath today to do everything I can to support our love. I will love and cherish you, do everything within my power to bring you joy and happiness. The love we share will carry on, forever, even if we must part, from time to time." He spoke from the heart, knowing that Kurt meant everything to him now.

Kurt was blinking back tears, and it was making Blaine's eyes dampen as well. Blaine repeating his vow with those little changes...it made his heart squeeze tight in his chest. He scrambled to remember the words he had spoken over two years ago.

"I love you, Blaine Devon Anderson. I will do everything under my power to honor our bond. Feed it with kind thoughts and tender kisses. I will love and cherish you, thank the lucky stars that have brought us together, and make your happiness my ultimate goal. Our love will carry on, even if we must part, from time to time." His voice wobbled a bit at the end, but he was able to complete his oath.

As he said it, he felt like the words struck a chord deep inside. They just felt right. They worked for who they were now.

---

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading this story right to the end! It has taken a while to get here, but I've enjoyed exploring the history of 1912-1914 and figuring out how the boys would fit into that time.

Fun Facts:

Great Salt Lake, Utah: This large lake in northern Utah has three rivers feeding into it, but no outlet except evaporation. This makes it very high in salt, far saltier than seawater, making swimming feel like floating. Ocean water has salinity around 3.5%, and this lake ranges between 5-27%, varying widely depending on water levels. There are industries that extract salt (for water softeners and icy roads), potassium sulphate (for fertilizer) and magnesium (14% of the world's supply), and brine shrimp and their eggs (cysts).

Saltair: It was a resort built on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake in 1893, on 2000 posts and pilings. The three story pavilion had moorish onion domes and ornate archways, with 600 bathhouses for swimmers to change in before experiencing the warm, salty water. After a day of swimming, crowds converged in the pavilion's huge dance hall and restaurants. Regular trains shuttled people back and forth. It burned down in 1925, and replaced by an even larger resort. It was destroyed by fire in 1970, and a third incarnation of the resort exists now, but in a location closer to the highway.

Charlie Chaplin: He was born in England in 1889. As a boy, he was in a production of Sherlock Holmes that went on three nation-wide tours, and worked for years in music halls. At the age of 17, he joined the juvenile act Casey's Circus, where he developed popular burlesque pieces and was soon the star of the show. A couple years later, he joined Fred Jarmo, getting lead roles fairly soon, and touring the US for a couple years, to great success. By September 1913, he was offered a film contract, and started filming short films in January 1914. By 1919, he was a superstar, and started United Artists film studio with Mary Pickford, DW Griffith, and Douglas Fairbanks, to have complete control over their own movies.

In this story, Kurt worked with him in music halls when he was in England with Paul. Kurt was around 18-19 years old, and Charlie was 16-17. In 1914, when Charlie was starting his film career, he was 25, and Kurt was 27.