A gray dense fog rolled over the landscape, blanketing the hills and forest. Anger boiled within the mass, flashes of green and yellow growing in intensity. Tendrils lapped at the forefront, as if pulling the thick cloud along. The fog hesitated upon reaching a gray stone castle, but soon crept around the structure, enveloping it in its dark mist. The now black tendrils reached up, unsuccessfully gaining purchase and leaving the twin turrets untouched. Frantic shouting from the guards came from the upper walls. More voices joined in as the lightning focused on the castle, now accompanied by jarring booms. A loud cry suddenly shook the entire image and everything fell silent.

Blaine jolted awake, eyes wide and body shivering.

"Blaine?" Kurt prodded sleepily, tightening his arm around Blaine's waist. When Blaine remained silent but for his ragged breathing, Kurt lifted his head. He slid a hand over Blaine's chest, feeling the rapid heartbeat. "What is it?" Kurt asked softly, blinking his eyes fully open.

Blaine looked at Kurt then, his eyes confused and frightened. Kurt rubbed his hand over Blaine's chest soothingly. Blaine took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before saying, "I had a vision."

"Just now?" Kurt inquired. Blaine nodded. "It was probably a dream," Kurt reasoned.

"I've only ever dreamed of pleasant things," Blaine countered thoughtfully, his voice still shaky.

"Really? Like what?" Kurt asked lightly.

"You," Blaine said simply, eliciting a small smile from Kurt. Kurt leaned in and pressed his lips to Blaine's. He pulled back only to see the sadness still in Blaine's eyes.

"Want to tell me about it?"

"It was Daltasia," Blaine revealed after a moment. "Something bad was happening," he added, blinking his eyes against the surfacing tears. Kurt's heart constricted and his own breathing stilted. He shifted to press tender kisses along Blaine's forehead and temple.

"It was just a dream," he whispered, lips ghosting against Blaine's warm, damp skin. "Just a dream." Blaine pulled Kurt closer, ducking his head into the crook of the other man's neck. Kurt ran his hand slowly up and down Blaine's back. "Do you miss it?" Kurt asked reluctantly, several moments later.

The silence was answer enough, but Blaine affirmed it, his voice muffled against Kurt's skin, "A little." The hand at his back faltered and Blaine pulled away to look at Kurt. "But I would rather be here with you," Blaine asserted, voice and gaze reverent. He kissed Kurt soundly, tilting his head to slide his lips against Kurt's and tease the other man's mouth open. When Kurt's lips parted, tongues coiled around each other lazily. Kurt sighed into the kiss, feeling the now familiar tingling throughout his body that came with being so intimate with Blaine.

Reason took over Kurt's brain and he pulled away reluctantly, leaning his forehead against Blaine's as they both caught their breath.

"I have to go to work soon," he whispered, lips brushing against Blaine's cheek. "Can you sleep?" Blaine nodded ever so slightly, and settled once again in Kurt's arms, head tucked between shoulder and chin. The warm breath Kurt felt against his neck deepened and slowed before long. "I love you," Kurt murmured just before sleep reclaimed him.

...

"Blaine?" Kurt shut the front door and stepped through the lounge. Music sounded from the stereo system, which was not in itself unusual since Kurt had taken Blaine to Fauna's, the enormous vintage music store in the Village two nights ago. Kurt had placed a pair of headphones over Blaine's ears despite the other man's hesitation, and Blaine was immediately taken with the sounds coming through them. Kurt played every genre for Blaine, pulling him around the store and plugging the headphones into various stations. Blaine took a liking to the romantic composers, especially Chopin's piano concertos, and not surprisingly the soundtracks to Disney movies. Kurt had laughed and they had left with a bagful of CD's and DVDs. Kurt had come home the next day to find Blaine sitting on the edge of the couch, captivated as Tangled played on the television.

However, the music now playing wasn't Chopin or Disney, rather, some modern music that Kurt vaguely remembered from the latest photo shoot.

"Blaine?" Kurt called out again as he set his bag on the table and shrugged out of his jacket.

There was a scrabbling sound on the hardwood floor of the hallway, and Kurt clutched his jacket against his chest protectively, eyes darting around the room. When a blur of white and gray flew toward him, he flung himself back, knocking into a chair and nearly toppling over. When he steadied himself and the chair, he looked around wildly for the intruder, only to find him running around the table and darting between the chair legs. Kurt hastened away, pressing himself against the wall as he caught his breath.

"Kurt!"

Blaine's exclamation startled Kurt, and he jumped, gripping his jacket even tighter against himself.

"Kurt," Blaine tried again, softer, as he stopped by the other man's side and sensed his tension. "What is it?"

Kurt, despite his usual knack for speaking, found himself wordless. Not taking his eyes off the still scampering creature, he lifted a shaky finger and pointed at it.

"Oh!" Blaine said, excitement coloring his voice again. "That's Cooper!"

"Cooper?" Kurt asked dumbly, eyeing the dog warily as he ran up to Blaine and lowered himself on his front paws, butt high in the air and tongue lolling out of his mouth. Cooper barked, jumping a little in place before lowering himself again. Kurt winced at the sharp noise.

"Do you not like him?" Blaine asked tentatively, eyes now downcast. He tucked his hands into his pockets. Cooper whined and stood, rubbing his body along Blaine's shin once, twice, before sitting down right next to Blaine's feet.

"I-," Kurt started. He looked at Blaine finally, feeling his heartbeat calming. He unclenched his fingers from his jacket and draped it over a chair. "Where did he come from?"

Blaine spared him a quick glance before crouching. He smoothed his hand over Cooper's thick fur.

"I found him in the park."

"Central Park?" Kurt asked incredulously, though he kept his tone even. Blaine did not answer, only kept petting the now complacent dog. Kurt crouched too, catching Blaine's eyes.

"He can't stay," Blaine huffed out, expression filled with resignation and regret.

"We don't know anything about him."

The light flickered back into Blaine's eyes, the momentary flash of anger startling Kurt.

"He's just over a year old. His owner left him at his home, tied to the staircase. And then people came and took everything, and still left him there. He was there for 6 days! No food. No water! Six days before he got away."

"How do you know?"

"He told me."

"Of course," Kurt said with a chuckle. Of the many changes Blaine had gone through during his time here, he still managed to retain the ability to talk to animals.

Kurt glanced at the puppy still tucked close to Blaine's feet, his chin propped up on his front paws and his eyes flicking between the two men. Blaine's hand rested on the dog's fur, his fingers scratching lightly.

"Does that mean he can stay?"

"I don't know," Kurt said carefully. He had never had a dog before.

"You let me stay, despite knowing very little of me."

"Blaine-," Kurt started to protest, but Blaine's eyes turned pleading. With a sigh, he said, "Yes, he can stay."

Blaine launched himself at Kurt, wrapping his arms around the man as they both fell to the floor. Kurt groaned dramatically, but the smile on his face ruined the effect as Blaine's concerned look quickly morphed into absolute delight. Legs tangled and with Kurt trapped between floor and his body, Blaine kissed him soundly.

"But," Kurt tried to sound stern once they had pulled apart, "he gets a bath tonight and sees a vet as soon as possible. Who knows what he could have?"

Cooper skittered over to where Kurt's head still rested on the floor and let out a series of yips. When Kurt winced at the noise, Cooper whined and lowered himself, his limbs splayed.

"Cooper said he got all his shots at the shelter when he was born," Blaine said, a bewildered expression on his face. Kurt turned his head, amused to find Cooper's nose inches away from his face.

Cooper barked again. Kurt winced again.

"And he loves baths."

"Okay, okay," Kurt said with a laugh. He pressed a finger into Blaine's chest. "But you are responsible for him. That means you feed him and take him outside, and clean up after him."

Blaine nodded enthusiastically. Cooper crawled closer, pressing a wet nose against Kurt's cheek. Kurt scrunched his face up in distaste.

"Anything else?" Blaine asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Kurt tipped his head back toward Cooper.

"No barking in my ear, okay?"

Cooper's answer took the form of a very wet lick across Kurt's chin.

"And keep the licking to a minimum," Kurt warned playfully, grabbing Blaine's shirt and wiping at his chin. Blaine laughed and ducked back down, peppering kisses over Kurt's forehead, cheeks, and lips. Cooper danced around their heads happily, slipping in a lick here and there despite Kurt's words.

When their kisses turned languid and deeper, Cooper trotted quietly away and settled in the hallway, his watchful eyes on the door.

Before things got too heated, Kurt broke the kiss.

"I'd really like to continue this anywhere but the floor," he commented breathlessly, ghosting fingers across Blaine's jaw.

Blaine grinned and pushed off the floor until he was kneeling above Kurt, and reached his hand out. Kurt took it easily and the two stood, Kurt brushing his hands along his clothes.

"Dinner first?" Blaine asked, already tugging Kurt toward the kitchen. Cooper followed close behind, knocking into Kurt's calves when the man came to an abrupt stop.

Feeling the sudden resistance, Blaine looked back and smiled shyly. He brought Kurt's hand up and gently kissed his knuckles.

"It's not much, but I wanted to try."

The puppy whined and peered around his legs, sniffing at the air. Deeming it safe, he trotted around Kurt's legs and plopped down by the cupboard.

A variety of flowers sat in a vase on the counter. Pots and pans were on the stove and plates had been set on the counter, ready for whatever tonight's meal was. So caught up in the sudden appearance of Cooper, Kurt hadn't even noticed the enticing smell of tomato sauce and garlic filling the apartment. A bottle of wine sat open, accompanied by two wineglasses.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Kurt breathed out, smiling adoringly at Blaine.

Blaine dropped Kurt's hand to begin serving up the food. Kurt poured the wine. Lifting one of the glasses to his lips for sip, he remembered the music still playing.

"What's with the music?" he asked, tipping his glass ever so slightly. Blaine offered him a smile before turning back to his work.

"Cooper likes it."

Kurt laughed when Cooper yipped in agreement.

"Of course he does," Kurt said with an air of mock exasperation. He grabbed the other wine glass and headed to the dining table when Blaine held the two plates aloft, now heaped with food.

Kurt smiled over his shoulder as Blaine followed him down the hall, Cooper's paws clicking on the floor behind them. Neither noticed the flash of blue and red in the bookshelf mirror.

...

Three days later and Cooper was already an integral part of Blaine and Kurt's lives. He got along with all the dogs at the park, went on runs with Kurt, slept on the floor of their bedroom, curled up at their feet when they sat at the table or on the couch, and obeyed Blaine's every command.

Kurt managed an afternoon off to take the puppy to the vet, who tracked down Cooper's records confirming that he was up to date on his vaccinations and was indeed around a year old. The vet handed an eager Blaine several brochures and printouts on Siberian Huskies.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the pet store, where Blaine carefully read the labels on the food and had what Kurt could only describe as a hushed conversation with Cooper on which one the dog would prefer.

"We're not getting anything expensive, or unhealthy," was Kurt's only input as he passed by the food aisle after wandering around the store.

Cooper's bark and Blaine's accompanying laugh had Kurt backtracking and coming down the aisle. He rested a hand on his hip, eyebrow raised. Blaine flashed him a smile.

"Cooper says anything's better than the plain rice I've been feeding him."

They had left the store with a very large bag of dog food, several food and water dishes, an assortment of toys, and two plush pet beds that had met Kurt's approval of fabric and color combinations.

As soon as they returned home, Kurt knelt down to undo the leash from Cooper's new purple collar. Cooper lapped happily at Kurt's chin, eliciting a rather undignified giggle from the man. Kurt scratched at the soft fur atop Cooper's head, causing the dog's tongue to hang comically out of his mouth and collapsing onto his side, exposing his belly. Kurt obliged and scratched his fingers across Cooper's chest.

Blaine's gasp had Cooper instantly back on his feet, ears twitching and growl deep in his chest. Kurt stood too and made his way to the other man. Blaine's eyes were wide and disbelieving.

"What is it?" Kurt asked, following Blaine's gaze toward the bookshelf. He slid his hand along Blaine's arm.

Blaine blinked, tearing his attention away from the mirror.

"I thought I saw something."

Fear crept into Kurt's chest at Blaine's solemn tone.

"Is that possible? Can he-," Kurt stopped when his voice failed him. Blaine twined their fingers together and squeezed.

"I am not sure," Blaine answered earnestly. A beat later he shook his head and smiled wanly. "It was most likely nothing."

Kurt nodded, Blaine's reassurance comforting.

...

Kurt unlocked the door, hefting a large stack of papers and his bag in one arm. Kurt had gotten stuck at the office again, making it his third 12-hour day in a row. All he wanted to do was collapse on the couch, and maybe fall asleep snuggled next to Blaine as he read aloud from one of his latest books.

It was oddly quiet in the apartment as Kurt walked in-no music, no television, and as Kurt slid his bag and papers onto the table, no lights on despite the late hour.

His nerves on edge, Kurt made his way along the darkened hallway. The clouds drifting past the moon kept him in shadows as he progressed, and sent an ominous shiver down his spine.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary-the kitchen was as spotless as ever, and the spare bedroom door open and the usual piles of books and half-unpacked boxes within. Rachel's room, which Kurt had refused to pack up, remained closed.

Kurt reached their bedroom and slowly pushed the door open. He encountered more darkness, but a soft whine focused his attention. His eyes adjusted just as the moon reappeared, slanting light into the window and onto the bed. The comforter and sheets were piled atop the bed, and the normally tidy stacks of books on the bedside littered the floor. Cooper's tail peeked out from one side of the crumpled linens, flicking back and forth slowly.

"Cooper," Kurt hissed as he stepped into the room, nearly tripping on a book. "You're not supposed to be on the bed," Kurt chastised as he stepped around a few books. Cooper whined again, shuffling under the covers until his head peeked out. Kurt was about to order the dog from the bed when the blanket moved again and Kurt heard a messy sniffle.

"Blaine?" Kurt moved quickly to the bed, tugging at the covers until he found the man in question, curled tightly into a ball, his arms wrapped protectively around Cooper. Kurt sat down, pressing the blanket away from Blaine's face. Even in the dim light, Kurt could make out Blaine's swollen eyes and his sad countenance. Cooper whined again, slipping his nose under Kurt's hand. Kurt scratched the dog's forehead absently.

"What happened?" Kurt ventured, ignoring the coiling panic and brushing back the mess of curls. "Are you sick? Hurt? Is Cooper hurt?"

Blaine shook his head and buried his face into Cooper's thick fur. Kurt scanned as much as he could see of both man and canine just to be sure. When nothing seemed out of place, Kurt toed off his shoes and slipped out of his jacket, leaving it on the floor. Ignoring the wrinkles and dog fur that were sure to cause him a headache come morning, Kurt crawled over the pile of man, dog, and linens to burrow underneath the covers behind Blaine. He wrapped his arm tightly around Blaine, pressing a kiss to the juncture between shoulder and neck.

Blaine sighed, lifting his face from Cooper just enough for Kurt to see his profile. He ran his hand up and down Cooper's belly.

"I can't hear him," Blaine revealed quietly, his voice breaking.

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt breathed out, knowing exactly who the other man was referring too. Kurt tightened his hold.

"I can't understand him at all."

Kurt knew no platitudes or sympathy would make Blaine feel better. So he settled for kissing Blaine's shoulder again and reaching a hand out to scratch at Cooper's back.

"You know, I never understand exactly what Cooper is saying but I have a pretty good idea what's going on in his mind," Kurt mused softly after a moment. "Like right now, I can tell he's sad and worried about you."

Cooper yipped softly, shuffling so that his legs were underneath him, and licked Blaine's chin.

"See?" Kurt said, resting his chin on Blaine's shoulder.

"I know he loves the park." Cooper's tail thumped excitedly against the mattress, his ears up and eyes flashing eagerly in the moonlight.

"And that he only puts up with running with me on the off chance he gets to see that pretty poodle on the West Side." Cooper whined and ducked his nose under a paw.

Blaine's laugh was short, and followed by a sniffle, but it was enough. Kurt propped himself onto his elbow as Blaine turned onto his back, sliding a hand over Kurt's, which still rested on his abdomen. Cooper crept closer, laying his head by their entwined hands.

The tears were still crowding Blaine's eyes, the tiny wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and the crease in his brow making him look so tired and just a little bit older. Kurt pressed butterfly kisses along Blaine's cheeks and forehead, and over his eyelids, which had fluttered closed.

It wasn't long after Kurt had finished brushing his lips against the soft skin under Blaine's jaw that the man's breathing slowed and deepened. Kurt rubbed at Cooper's head affectionately, causing the puppy to lift his head and nuzzle his hand before settling back down. Kurt wrapped himself around Blaine and with a sigh, followed him into slumber.

...

Kurt stepped out of the shower, toweling his hair dry, the steam swirling above him. A flash of red stilled his hands. Holding his breath, he stepped closer to the fogged over mirror only to jump back when a streak of blue slipped across the blurry surface.

Kurt stood still and stared until the condensation began sliding down the mirror to reveal his own reflection, clutching his blue towel in front of him. Letting out a huff, he dismissed the incident as his own mind getting carried away.

He finished his morning routine and headed to the kitchen.

Blaine emerged from the bedroom just as Kurt was setting a plate of pancakes on the counter.

"I made pancakes," Kurt offered when Blaine shuffled into view, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. Cooper followed close behind, already carrying his leash in his mouth.

"I'll eat when we get back," Blaine said somberly. When Kurt quirked an eyebrow, Blaine continued, "I didn't take Cooper out before bed last night. I'm sure he needs it."

"Okay," Kurt said bracingly, smiling. He came around the bench and pressed a gentle kiss to Blaine's cheek. When he retreated, Blaine pulled him back for a far less chaste kiss. Kurt responded immediately, wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders. Blaine's tongue teased at Kurt's lower lip until his lips parted. Mint and coffee mingled as their tongues danced lazily together. Blaine tilted his head to deepen the kiss as his fingers clutched at Kurt's lower back.

Kurt sighed when they parted, temples pressed together as they caught their breath.

"I love you," Kurt breathed out.

"I love you," Blaine returned emphatically.

"I won't be home late," Kurt said when they pulled apart.

Blaine's sad smile and nod had Kurt's heart pounding for all the wrong reasons. As he watched Blaine and Cooper make their way to the door, Kurt saw none of the usual energy in either man or dog. The soft click of the door left the apartment all too quiet, the air heavy with something slightly sinister. Kurt had seen the changes his world had made in Blaine those first few weeks, but while those changes were sometimes heartbreaking, they only made Blaine more human, more beautiful. And they always gave Blaine even more life. However, this latest change had taken some of that life from him, and Kurt could not ignore the guilt gnawing at his subconscious.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Kurt finished his coffee and tidied the kitchen. He retrieved his jacket and was just about to grab his bag, when he caught sight of the pile of papers he had left on the table last night. His assistant had been kind enough to print out the information and with a renewed lightness in his heart, Kurt flipped through the printouts. But the weight returned heavier than before as he scanned the applications.

Full Name

Social Security Number

Date of Birth

Date of High School Graduation or GED

Medical History

With a frustrated groan, Kurt shoved the haphazard pile into his bag, the crumpling and tearing giving him a wry satisfaction. He didn't want to read anymore, didn't want to feel the disappointment already seeping into his bones. He couldn't show Blaine the forms now.

Flipping the cover of his bag down and shoving the latch closed, he swung it onto his shoulder and left the apartment.