Despite exhaustion and not getting enough sleep the previous night, nobody was sleepy. Darkness enveloped the beach, the only sources of light being the small bonfire they lit, some distant city lights and a pale half-moon. Puck would play his guitar and sing, and sometimes some of the others would join in, all of them already missing Glee a little bit. Rachel snuggled up to Finn’s side and Brittany lay down with her head in Santana’s lap.

Kurt couldn’t stop smiling. He wasn’t sure if it was the place, the ocean, the moment he’d had with Blaine earlier, the beer he was sipping, or something else that caused it, but his chest was almost bursting with happiness.

And Blaine was confused. The growing nerves about meeting Cooper the next day combined with the uncertainty about how much longer he would be able to take holding himself back and the possible consequences of him failing were muddling his thoughts just as much as the beer he downed. He wasn’t even sure anymore if it was three or four that he’d had. Or maybe five.

It was around midnight when Rachel suggested they go back to the motel and get some sleep. Some grumbling couldn’t be avoided, but finally all of their things were gathered, their bonfire extinguished, and Kurt carefully picked all their trash up to dump it in the nearest bin. Only he didn’t expect to have to take care of Blaine not falling over as well.

He hadn’t even realised how much Blaine had drunk, until he saw him wobbling when he tried to stand up and start walking.

‘Oopsie,’ Blaine mumbled. ‘Am I walking? Why’s the ground moving?’

Kurt hurried to hook Blaine’s arm around his own neck to steady his friend. He made a note to remember to keep an eye on Blaine the next time there’s alcohol in his reach.

‘The ground’s fine, Blaine, you’re just drunk.’

‘Drunk, no, I had like two beers,’ Blaine insisted.

‘Right, more like two dozen,’ Kurt snickered.

‘We didn’t even have that many.’

Kurt rolled his eyes, even though his friend couldn’t possibly see it.

‘Come on, we’re going back to the motel, and please, don’t make me drag you.’

With considerable effort and Blaine’s feet shuffling almost completely uselessly against the sidewalk, they managed to make it the motel. Everybody else left them behind, which only fuelled Kurt’s annoyed grunts that constituted all the talk on their way back.

Kurt dropped Blaine onto his bed unceremoniously.

‘Okay, now I really need a shower, so maybe you should just take a nap?,’ he suggested, but got nothing but an “mhm” in response as Blaine curled up into a ball. ‘Just don’t try to walk.’

Why would he want to walk? He didn’t have to go anywhere, he was in the exact spot where he wanted to be, with Kurt. And his head was dizzy, so probably staying down was a good idea. But this mattress was too soft, any movement set it into wave-like motions, which made him feel even giddier. So he slid down onto the floor between the two single beds, tugging the comforter from the one he was occupying down with him.

It was a lot harder to spread the comforter under his body while lying on the floor, so it took him good ten minutes to successfully finish the undertaking. When he was finally settled, he figured a pillow wouldn’t hurt. It took some feeling around blindly – because he really didn’t want to sit up – but eventually the pillow was down with him and he was tucking it under his head. That turned out to be difficult, too, with his head feeling so freaking heavy. How did it get so heavy, anyway?

And why was the light from the bedside tables so bright? His head was beginning to throb a little from the brightness, so he yanked the sheet that was hanging sadly on the edge of his bed from where he pulled it halfway off while removing the comforter that had covered it.

The bathroom door opened with a creak that seemed strangely loud in Blaine’s ears.

‘What are you doing?,’ Kurt asked, surprised by seeing only Blaine’s hands struggling with the sheet above the edge of his bed.

‘The light’s too bright. I’m making a- a fort,’ Blaine muttered.

‘You’re making a fort? Oh my god, you really are drunk,’ Kurt said, trying to resist smiling. ‘Come on, let me help you.’

He pulled the sheet from the edge of one bed to the bed opposite and laid down next to Blaine. The light was now dulled enough for Blaine’s head to feel much better, and they were still able to see each other.

‘You’re not gonna puke, are you?,’ Kurt asked warily.

‘Uh-huh. I don’t- I don’t think so.’

Blaine winced, closing his eyes to stop the spinning that still wouldn’t cease completely. Kurt had to admit that even when he was drunk, Blaine was the definition of cute. The locks of hair that escaped the gel on his forehead, the slightly parted soft lips, and the long lashes, everything was just perfect.

He had to bite his lip down to stop himself from kissing Blaine right there and then.

‘I think I’m really not gonna puke,’ Blaine muttered, opening his eyes. Only now did he grasp how close Kurt was. So close and so beautiful. And so amazing. ‘I wasn’t much help when we were walking back, was I?’

‘Nope.’ Kurt wasn’t even annoyed anymore. So what that Blaine got drunk? Nothing mattered but the fact that they were there together. It was enough for Kurt to be happy.

‘Sorry.’

Kurt’s lips arched a little.

‘It’s fine.’

‘You’re not mad?,’ Blaine asked.

A chuckle escaped Kurt’s mouth.

‘No, of course I’m not mad.’ His eyes locked on Blaine’s, so close, so unusually dark and so mesmerising. ‘I could never be mad at you,’ he blurted out.

Blaine inched nearer, leaving barely any space between their faces.

‘Really?,’ he breathed. Kurt couldn’t ever be mad at him, so why not just do this? Why not try?

Suddenly his head was clear, his heart pounding hard against his ribs, and he was leaning forward, closing the tiny distance before Kurt realised what was about to happen.

Blaine’s lips crashed into Kurt’s, knocking the air out of their lungs. It was too overwhelming to even think. So they didn’t think. Kurt’s hand found its way to Blaine’s neck, while Blaine’s travelled to the small of Kurt’s back, pulling him closer. It felt so right, so wonderful, so absolutely perfect neither wanted to pull back. Once their bodies were against one another, their lips and tongues doing a wild dance, it felt like they never could tear away from each other.

But only one of them was temporarily stripped off all his inhibitions. As soon as Kurt could piece his thoughts together, he pushed Blaine gently back, trying to forget how wonderful all of those kisses felt.

‘Blaine, sweetie, I guess you should- sleep it off, okay?,’ he managed to whisper.

‘No, I don’t want- I want-,’ Blaine stammered, his thoughts in an even bigger muddle than earlier. He just wanted to keep kissing Kurt, and for Kurt to kiss him back. Because he was kissing him back, Blaine was quite sure he didn’t make that up.

‘You’re seeing your brother tomorrow, you should get some sleep,’ Kurt said firmly.

Blaine’s forehead furrowed sadly.

‘Stay with me? Please?’

‘Sure.’

And as Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine, the latter’s lips tugged up at the corners. He had nothing against sleeping like that.