"Kurt," Blaine whispered reverently, ghosting his fingers across Kurt's stomach. "Kurt..."

Kurt's eyes flew as he shuddered and burrowed his face deeper into Blaine's shoulder.

He blinked.

Blaine's...shoulder.

He slowly pulled his head back, realizing that he'd rolled over to Blaine's side of the bed--again--and had sort of rucked up Blaine's shirt and his left hand was over Blaine's bellybutton and rubbing circles absentmindedly--

"Um...good evening."

Kurt tilted his head further up and saw that Blaine was very much awake and very much staring at him unblinkingly. Kurt's hand froze. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Blaine said hurriedly but Kurt was already rolling over to his half of the bed and trying to go back to sleep.

***

Nightlife in Anderson Manor turned out to be vastly different from day life. For one, Blaine was literally always around and almost always in the same room as Kurt--save for the bathroom, but Kurt knew he was close by. 

He'd be re-cataloging the library or arranging small little bouquets of gardenia blossoms all around the various floors or showing Kurt the jewels he'd accrued for "services to the queen" or putting labels on the cabinets so Kurt could know where everything was, but Blaine was always around. 

And his close proximity made Kurt increasingly aware of a fact that he'd been trying to ignore for a while.

For a dead guy...Blaine was attractive. 

...very attractive.

***

Kurt was in the attic. It was one of his favorite places in the whole mansion because it was crammed full of odd paraphernalia that Blaine had collected over the centuries and these romantic oil lamps that lit the level and arching beams all over the place. 

He moved past a cupboard full of exquisite French rococo jackets that Blaine had claimed to have retrieved from Versailles during the French Revolution, back towards a chest full of old Italian blown glass when something swooped down in front of him.

It was Blaine, hanging upside down, knees hooked on one of the lower beams.

Kurt breathed out heavily, trying to stop his heart from hammering--half from fright and half from Blaine's shirt which had fallen down to reveal the bottom half of his stomach. "You know, supervising me twenty four-seven to make sure I don't do anything will backfire on you eventually because one of these days you're going to give me a heart attack from just popping up everywhere."

"Apologies," Blaine smiled grimly, unamused at the joke. "That was not the intent."

"What was?" Kurt quipped. "Attempting to invoke the ancient vampiric ritual of bat transformation and practicing for when you become successful?"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I was going to tell you that it's almost dawn and you should come to bed."

"Okay," Kurt nodded. Then he frowned. "Blaine are you...are you alright?" 

Blaine had dark circles under his eyes and he looked fairly paler than usual, his cheeks slightly sunken in. He averted his eyes. "Fine."

Kurt slowly reached out and cupped his cheek, leaning in closer. "Blaine are you...thirsty?"

Suddenly Blaine was out from under his hand and walking down the ladder. "Come. It's time for bed."

***

Kurt spit out his toothpaste into the sink and gargled water, ignoring the flush that was high in his cheeks. He wiped his mouth with one of the insanely soft towels that Blaine favored and stared at his expression, wide-eyed, unable to believe he was about to do this. 

Licking his lips, he considered splashing water on his face but no, maybe he should keep his face warm because that might help? Or would it make things worse? He groaned, putting his head in his hands before standing up straight and smoothing back his hair. Now or never.

He unbuttoned one button on his nightshirt.

He frowned, then took off the undershirt he had on and put his nightshirt back on. 

Yes, perfect. He gave himself an assured nod that managed to also come off as slightly terrified before he opened the bathroom door and went into the bedroom, heart hammering.

Blaine was already in bed, propped up against the pillows and reading a small book in...

"Is that...Winnie the Pooh...in Latin?"

Blaine smiled, setting the book on the bedside table. "It's a very stimulating read." He leaned over to turn off the lamp. "Are you ready for bed?"

"Wait!" Kurt said, reaching over to touch his shoulder then pulling back awkwardly. "I...um...I mean, there's something I wanted to...discuss with you."

"Oh?" Blaine questioned, sitting back on the pillows, folding his hands over his lap.

"Well..." Kurt said, fiddling with his fingers. "You're kind of reluctant to leave me alone for five minutes--"

"Last time I did that was the bath tub incident," Blaine cut across, folding his arms tightly, jaw clenched.

Kurt cursed internally. Blaine was supposed to be relaxed for this and also his flexed arms were incredibly distracting. He tried to reroute the conversation back to where he wanted it. "Yes. But as a result you're...Blaine, when was the last time you...drank something?"

"The knife incident," Blaine glared. "In the kitchen."

"That's not what I meant," Kurt sighed. "I meant...like at least a proper mouthful or two. Or three or whatever. Was...was it Scott?"

Blaine sighed, looking to the side before nodding. 

Kurt nodded in response, surreptitiously scooting closer to Blaine, palms sweating.

Blaine looked at him suddenly, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Kurt squeaked, freezing in his venture to cross the bed. "I'm fine."

Blaine's brow furrowed and suddenly he was across the bed, hands framing Kurt's face as he looked back and forth in his eyes. "Kurt, your heart is beating out of control and your blood has a slight spike of adrenaline. You're not about to do something stupid, are you?"

Kurt stared at him, panicking, before it all sort of came rushing out. "Well, I always feel guilty eating around you because you look half-starved most of the time and you were giving that red wine in the cellar a desperate look the other night and I mean all you have here is super rich food and as long as I'm gaining basically ten pounds like I think my blood is healthy or whatever unless you're allergic to certain blood types which wow okay I didn't think of that but I'm A- if that helps and as long as it doesn't hurt as much as it did last time though I also had a bunch of broken bones then too but--"

Blaine pressed a finger to Kurt's lips, expression half-amused and half-panicked. "Kurt, it's fine, honestly. I can go without blood for a while."

"But--" Kurt muttered against Blaine's finger, but Blaine just pushed it in further. 

"I'm fine," Blaine smiled. "Now let's go to bed, okay?"

"Okay," Kurt murmured, feeling another flush of embarrassment overtake him as he looked down awkwardly and rubbed his neck, missing Blaine's eyes darting towards it at the movement. 

The light went out and Kurt went to sleep.

***

Blaine propped Kurt up on the counter as he licked across his collarbones ravenously, shoving all the ingredients off and to the floor as he ripped off Kurt's apron and--

Kurt blinked as he stared down at his cutting board. He ducked his head as Blaine kept on talking about Imperial Russia and the extravagant balls he'd attended there.

"Did you break many princesses' hearts?" Kurt asked absently as he set aside the pecans and started chopping up part of the huge block of dark chocolate, intent on making chocolate chip pecan cookies come hell or high water.

(He'd been allowed knife privileges under Blaine's supervision)

"It wasn't my fault," Blaine sighed, leaning back against the high cabinets. He was sitting on the counter and fiddling with a zest grater absentmindedly. "I never indicated that I wanted to marry any of them yet they still expected--"

"Ouch!" Kurt hissed, clutching his arm. The knife had gotten stuck in the block of chocolate and he'd attempted to wrench it out and it'd cut the inside of his left arm when it'd finally come free. "Damn," he muttered, licking his lips as blood started to spill over it. "That wasn't on purpose, I swear. Could you fix it--"

He turned and Blaine was right there, eyes black, staring down at Kurt's arm.

Kurt blinked in surprise. "Blaine?"

Suddenly his arm was clutched between Blaine's hands tightly and Blaine's mouth was over the cut, sucking at it and slurping loudly. Kurt watched in shock as Blaine lifted his mouth away for a second and suddenly there were two sharp fangs sliding out and he bit down on Kurt's arm.

It was...well, it hurt a lot and Kurt's jaw clenched tightly and his neck strained as his head snapped backwards but the pain passed quickly and it was just sort of...

Well, it was kind of awkward. 

It was a weird angle to begin with and it still hurt but it was that really annoying digging pain, like when Kurt would get blood work done and the freaking doctor would jab his arm fifty times with a needle, trying to get the appropriate vein. 

That's what Blaine kept doing. He'd sink his teeth in deep before drawing back abruptly, then sinking them in again, then drawing back, and after a while, Kurt just found himself staring down at his arm with a mix of morbid fascination.

"Uh...Blaine?"

Blaine froze, pulling his fangs out and looking up at Kurt, his mouth smeared a little with blood. But unlike last time when Kurt had seen him like this and he'd committed grand theft auto in his extreme terror, this time Blaine looked kind of...cute. Like a kid who was found with his hand in the cookie jar and Kurt almost giggled at the image of little mini vampire Blaine munching on a big snicker doodle with his fangs. 

But in a blink, Blaine disappeared.

***

Kurt looked for him all night. He wandered around the giant echoing mansion, from room to room, all the way up to the attic, but he couldn't find Blaine. 

It...upset him. He missed Blaine. And the house just seemed, sort of dead without him. 

After calling for him for hours, Kurt just rolled his eyes and climbed to the top of the staircase. "If you're going to be immature about it," he sighed before pitching himself over the edge.

Blaine caught him and he was...soaking wet?

"Is this..." Kurt picked a string of seaweed out of Blaine's hair. "Sea water?"

Blaine stared at him darkly. "Well I was trying to swim."

"In the ocean?"

"Yes. Before someone decided to jump off the staircase again."

"I'm not the one who ran away like a five year old," Kurt shot back.

Blaine sighed and then they were in his room. Kurt was plopped down on the bed and Blaine was shedding his clothes, the shower already running.

Kurt coughed quietly and averted his eyes (mostly...sort of...okay, not really...) and tucked his feet up under him. "So do you want to explain your little disappearing act earlier?"

Blaine paused before turning and leaning against his dresser, arms folded over his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose control like that and I know that it probably hurt--"

"It was more awkward than painful," Kurt shrugged. "It probably would've hurt less if you hadn't kept diving in and out."

"I was trying to avoid arteries," Blaine grimaced lightly. "And if my teeth sit too long, they--" He broke off suddenly, looking down. He looked almost...embarrassed.

"They..." Kurt prompted, scooting towards the edge of the bed.

Blaine looked up but wouldn't meet his eyes. "They... secrete this uh... pheromone and well, it sort of, well, that is to say--" Kurt had never seen him so flustered. "It makes you feel...good."

"O...kay?" Kurt said uncertainly, not quite getting what all of the fluster was about. "So it doesn't hurt? It's like a balm, or whatever?"

"Not exactly," Blaine sighed, rubbing at his hair. "Look, there's a reason...vampires who are alone generally find only one person to consistently feed from and it's usually someone they find attractive because...because more often than not, it leads to something more."

"Oh," Kurt nodded. Then his eyes widened and he actually got it. "Oh. Okay. So...you're used to drinking from girls so drinking from me would be awkward, right?"

Blaine stared at him. "Kurt, I've only ever consistently drank from men."

Kurt stared back. "So you're--"

"Very very gay."

Kurt's brow furrowed. "But you were going to marry my grandmother."

"Well, she proposed and she knew about my...condition, so I accepted. Plus, I think she suspected that she wasn't really my type because she kept saying that she would be fine if I found some other person. It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience--she gave me the cover I needed, and I got her out of the marriage she was supposed to have. Not to mention, 'til death do us part' was a little premature."

Kurt just nodded, throat dry. "So...wait, why won't you do it then?"

"You're my best friend's great-grandson," Blaine said bluntly. "It's kind of weird."

"So you don't see me in that way," Kurt said with tight smile.

"No," Blaine shook his head. "I do. And that's why it's weird." 

"Ah," Kurt said, face heating. "Right."

"Yeah," Blaine nodded before walking over to the bathroom and getting in the shower.

Kurt walked over to the dresser and took out his pajamas, changing before he really understood everything that Blaine had just said.

Blaine liked him.

Like...liked him liked him.

So he put the top back in the dresser and sat back down on the bed, nervously fiddling his fingers as he waited. 

Blaine came back out, towel around his waist and one in hand as he dried his hair, but he stopped once he saw Kurt sitting on the bed in only his pajama pants. "Kurt?"

"So," Kurt cleared his throat. "I've thought about what you said and after much consideration, I think that um...we...should...try it?"

"What?"

"Uh, you. Me. My neck." He mimed a vampire biting, making his hands into claws. 

Blaine stared at him like he was half-insane, which he very well may be. "You want me to bite your neck."

"Yes."

Blaine sighed, hanging the towel around his neck and pulling both ends. "Kurt--"

"Look, I know what you're going to say, but hear me out," Kurt said, sitting cross-legged. "We're in this extremely odd and weird and kind of messed-up...living situation, I guess, and I feel like that we should at least make the most of it while we're here and..." he looked down. "And I don't like seeing you in pain. And I know you are whenever you're thirsty, no matter how hard you try to hide it."

There was a pause. Blaine walked over to sit next to Kurt on the bed. "I just...I want to make sure that you're comfortable. So that I can be comfortable."

"I'm fine," Kurt insisted, looking over at him. "And you're fine. And we're all fine and dandy and stuff, now can you just please bite my neck because I'm not sure how many more times I can humiliate myself asking."

Blaine licked his lips unconsciously before standing suddenly in front of Kurt and carefully maneuvering his head to the side so he could lean over the side of his neck, his breath ghosting over it. "If it hurts too much," he whispered. "Just tap my neck and I'll stop."

Kurt nodded silently and Blaine leaned over. He pressed a soft kiss to his neck which sent a shiver through Kurt, before leaning over and biting.

Kurt gasped, teeth clenching as Blaine's hands went down to his shoulders and held him still. It hurt more than his arm had and Blaine's teeth burrowed deeper but it honestly wasn't nearly as bad as Kurt had thought and--

Blaine's teeth seemed to twitch and all of the sudden Kurt felt very very hot. He breathed out shakily, his hands coming up to rest against Blaine's sides as he let out a low and raspy moan. 

Blaine's hands were pawing at him suddenly and pushing him down and Kurt collapsed back, fingers dragging up to Blaine's back and pressing down as his legs slid open and everything just felt hot and warm and stifling but oh so good and Blaine was gasping against his neck in between gulps, his hands tracing down the front of Kurt's chest idly before suddenly going down to his pants and yanking them impatiently, accidentally shredding them in the process.

Blaine pulled back suddenly, staring at the mangled strips of fabric in his hand, blood dripping from his lips. "Kurt, I'm sorry--"

"Blaine, it's fine," Kurt mumbled, blinking out of his haze.

"No, I really shouldn't have--" Blaine froze suddenly. He let out a small burp.

Kurt's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he burst into giggles, covering his hands with his face. "Did you just burp?"

"It happens," Blaine said embarrassedly. 

Kurt drew his hands down and smiled at Blaine. "Apparently. And I...I don't mind if we go further, if you aren't opposed."

"That's just the pheromones talking," Blaine sighed. "I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're half giddy off your mind."

"It's not the pheromones," Kurt countered firmly. "You aren't the one who's been having sex dreams for the past couple weeks."

Blaine shot him a look.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Wait, what--"

"Regardless," Blaine said, grimacing as he tossed what remained of Kurt's pajama pants behind his back. "I think we should have a mature adult conversation before going any further. And I think it should be a night when I haven't drained over a gallon of blood from you."

"Okay," Kurt nodded. "My neck's still bleeding."

Blaine blinked. "Oh. Right. Sorry." He leaned down and licked across the two small holes so they'd clot. He hovered over Kurt's face, licking the excess blood off his lips. "I guess...bed...time?"

Kurt nodded and moved to go over to his side of the bed before Blaine held fast to his arm.

"Um...you can stay here if you like."

Kurt smiled and nodded, laying down on the pillow.

Blaine hesitated. "Can I...hold you?"

Kurt blinked in surprise before nodding and Blaine wrapped his arms around him. Kurt rested his head over Blaine's chest, ear over where his heart was.

There wasn't a beat, but Kurt knew it was still there.

***

It was probably sometime around twilight when Kurt woke. Blaine had his arms wrapped loosely around him and was nuzzled against his neck. Kurt slid out gently, looking around for his pajama pants but they were shredded somewhere on the floor. So he just took one of the velvet sheets instead, pulling it with him and wrapping it around himself as he went out into the hall and down the stairs. 

He wandered around, slightly unsteadily and lightheaded, and feeling sort of hazy... He ended up in one of the back rooms on the first floor where there was a grand piano sitting quietly. He stared at it for a long while before going over to sit by it, bunching the velvet sheet all around him as he lifted up the lid.

His mother had taught him piano when he was younger but he'd given it up a couple of years ago. Though he still remembered a few...

Placing his fingers on the keys, he played a low chord, then a rolled higher one. He licked his lips lightly and played them again before starting to sing along.

"Someone to hold you too close..."

Blaine wrapped his arms tightly around him, breathing in his scent.

"Someone to hurt you too deep..."

A bloody smile grinned back at him.

Kurt paused, his fingers hovering over the keys before he started to play again. "Someone to sit in your chair--"

Blaine laughed on top of the counter, the sound filling the room.

"--to ruin your sleep."

Kurt jolted out of bed at the dark silhouette over him.

Kurt smiled wryly as his fingers fell into the familiar pattern. "Someone too need you too much."

Blaine cupped Kurt's face, a worried expression on his own.

"Someone to know you too well..."

Blaine showed Kurt the lobster he'd ordered to the house for dinner, grinning as Kurt jumped around the kitchen, excited.

"Someone to pull you up short--"

Blaine ripped the knife out of his hand.

"To put you through hell."

Kurt screamed as Blaine shoved him down so he could heal his wounds.

Kurt winced, feeling the two small pinprick holes in his neck ache at the memory.

"Someone who you have to let in..."

Kurt gave Blaine a soft nod with a tentative smile.

"Someone who's feelings you spare..."

Kurt sighed as he walked next to Blaine through the woods, trying to nicely reject his offer of dinner.

"Someone who, like it or not, will want you to share a little--"

Blaine licked Kurt's fingers free of blood.

"--a lot."

Blaine groaned as his fangs sunk deep into Kurt's neck.

"Someone to crowd you with love..."

Blaine stroked Kurt's face gently, an adoring smile on his lips.

"Someone to force you to care..."

Kurt cupped Blaine's upside down face anxiously.

"Someone make you come through--"

Kurt answered the door to Blaine in his lobster cardigan.

"Who'll always be there--"

Blaine smiled at him as he offered his hand and they walked down the steps to the dance floor below.

"As frightened as you--"

Blaine slammed on his door, begging to be let in.

"Of being alive. Being alive... being alive... being alive."

Blaine spun Kurt around the dance floor with a smile.

"Somebody hold me too close."

Blaine's hands gripped around Kurt as they jumped from his window.

"Somebody hurt me too deep."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's wrists, questioning how he'd gained the scrapes.

"Somebody sit in my chair..."

Blaine sat in the chair across from him, gesturing to the cognac.

"...and ruin my sleep..."

Kurt jumped as he saw Blaine watching over him as he slept.

"...and make me aware of being alive. Being alive..."

Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt's hand, causing his heart to flutter.

"Somebody need me too much..."

Kurt leaned against the edge of the tub as Blaine told him he'd always save him.

"Somebody know me too well..."

Kurt grinned at the cheesecake.

"Somebody pull me up short and put me through hell..."

Kurt argued with Blaine on their bed (because it was their's now, wasn't it?).

"And give me support for being alive..."

Blaine extended his hand, telling Kurt it was cold outside and won't he come in?

"Make me alive...make me alive...make me confused..."

Blaine leaned forward and wished Kurt sweet dreams while slipping a gardenia in his pocket.

"Mock me with praise..."

Blaine smiled at Kurt in amusement. 

"Let me be used..."

Kurt sat in a pile of blood and snow, looking around at the bodies in horror.

"Vary my days..."

Kurt's eyes fluttered open as night fell.

"But alone..."

Kurt sat alone on his bed, staring out at the gray landscape.

"Is alone..."

Kurt curled up in the lighthouse, crying and shivering.

"Not alive..."

Kurt accepted the dance with a smile.

"Somebody crowd me with love."

Blaine leaned forward and put his head against Kurt's.

"Somebody force me to care."

He did.

"Somebody let me come through."

Please.

"I'll always be there."

...he would. He will.

"As frightened as you--"

God, he was. 

"To help us survive..."

And he hoped they would.

"Being alive...being alive...being alive."

He breathed heavily in front of the piano and wiped his eyes. 

***

About an hour later, Blaine appeared next to him on the bench. "I have to go into town tonight."

"Oh," Kurt said quietly, huggin the sheet around him. "You're leaving?"

"Just for an hour or two," Blaine said quietly. He looked over at Kurt hesitantly before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to his hair. "I'll see you later." And then he was gone.

In his place, on the bench, was a key.

Kurt picked it up, recognizing it as the one that opened all the locks on the house.

Including the ones outside.

Blaine was letting him go.

It took two seconds to make his decision.

He went upstairs and got dressed. But he didn't pack anything.

He was staying.

But he desperately wanted to see the sky again.

***

He made sure he was bundled up warm before going outside to explore the backyard. There was a small greenhouse against the backyard and Kurt peaked inside to see gardenias growing. He smiled as he opened the door for a quick heady whiff before closing it shut. In the back of Anderson Manor was woods mainly, and a large lawn. Kurt walked around it idly, staring up at the sky which was actually clear for once, the stars twinkling down from the heavens.

He breathed the fresh air deep into his lungs and spun around with a soft giggle.

He froze as he heard something, his ears straining. It was soft and high and sweet, almost like...

He frowned and walked into the woods towards it. It was beautiful, filtering through the trees. Someone singing wordlessly. He had to find out who. Who was it who was it who was it--

He was in the meadow suddenly, the sound coming from the well. 

His mind screamed at him to turn around but he was transfixed by the sweet song and his feet kept walking forward, closer and closer and closer...

He stood in front of the well, the big wooden lid with its thick iron lock. The well practically vibrated with the sweet song and well...it's not like she could get out.

He unlatched the lock and pushed the heavy lid off of the well, looking down below.