Blaine stared moodily out of his window at the bright scorching sunlight. Why the hell was it so damn hot? He'd come to Seattle for the express purpose of it being rainy--cloudy at least--during June so he could get in the proper mindset of an elusive murder mystery since New York really wasn't helping with it's sweltering heat.

He picked up the Seattle Times to look at the five-day forecast. Record temperatures all week. Sighing, he rummaged through his drawers for a polo and capri pants, feeling ten years younger. 

The beach it was, then.

***

Blaine stood at the edge of the water at Golden Gardens, in his bright red pants, white polo, and bare feet, glaring down at the sea foam. Considering that it was upwards of ninety degrees, the water was fucking frigid. 

He glanced up, over Puget Sound towards the Olympic Peninsula, still sullen and miserable. Seattle sucked.

A pair of toes appeared next to his and he glanced to his left to find a young girl standing there, smiling up at him in a pale blue sundress that matched her eyes. She had long curly auburn hair that was pulled back into a loose ponytail, a pointed freckly nose, skinny pale legs and was sporting a pale lilac Japanese parasol in one hand, a large ice cream cone in another that she was avidly licking. "You look grumpy," she giggled in a high voice.

Blaine stared at her moodily before returning to glaring out over the sound. "I am grumpy." 

"Why?"

"Because it's too hot outside but too cold to swim."

"Duh," the girl rolled her eyes with another laugh. "Everyone knows that you can't swim in the sound this early. Wait til the late afternoon when it really gets hot then the water will have warmed some more by then."

"I wasn't informed," Blaine grumbled, flicking up sand with his toes and shuddering when the water crept up high enough to wash over his feet.

"That's why you have to take preventive measures until then," the girl carried on, twirling her parasol. "Shade and ice cream work."

"You don't say," Blaine said dryly.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Here." She pushed her cone up by Blaine's mouth.

Blaine looked down at the melty ice cream with a raised eyebrow before leaning down to lick it with a sigh. His eyes widened as he looked over at the girl. "What flavor is that?"

"Earl Grey!" she smiled widely. "My favorite."

Blaine smiled back, really actually looking at her. His eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at her eyes with her...almost unnaturally large pupils. "Say, are you alri--"

"Dorothy?" A woman called. "Dorothy, where are you?"

"Coming, Auntie Em!" Dorothy yelled behind her before turning back to Blaine with a smile. "I have to go now. Bye, Toto." She turned and ran off, her long ponytail bouncing happily behind her, moving around messily to reveal...was that a scar on her back?

Blaine briefly considered calling after her before he shrugged and turned back to the sea.

***

Three months later...

***

"You don't understand, Sam," Blaine grinned as he looked outside the steamy Starbucks window at the drippy dreary sky outside. "It's perfect writing weather."

"And you don't understand, Blaine," Sam groaned. "You really need to kick your coffee addiction--it's way too costly and you're going to end up with yellow teeth."

"So?" Blaine grumbled, getting back in line.

"So?" Sam snapped. "That's half of your public image! Everyone loves the smile. Come on, you can try tea."

"But I don't want to..."

"You sound about five."

"Fine," Blaine grumbled. "Just this once."

"Blaine--"

"Bye." He hung up feeling exponentially unhappier than he had two minutes before. "Hi," he sighed at the barista. "I'll have a large tea."

"Okay," the barista--Mercedes--nodded. "Any flavor in particular? There are all the Tazo ones..." She gestured to the wall of tea behind her.

"Uh..." Blaine dragged his eyes across the titles, trying to find one that at least sounded familiar. "How about..." Golden Gardens, lilac parasol, scar...? "Earl Grey?"

Blaine smiled as he paid her and stepped out of the way of the next customer, glancing absentmindedly at some of the CDs as he waited for his drink.

"Hey Cedes, I'll just have the usual if you don't mind."

"Sure thing, Kurt."