Kurt awoke in stages. The musical sounds of a chorus of birds greeting the morning registered first, but he nestled his head deeper into his pillow and let sleep pull him back under for another few minutes. Before long, though, the feeling of being overly warm began to reach the more awake parts of his brain. He automatically went to kick his feet to throw off his comforter, but found that his legs were weighed down.

The resulting confusion drug him a few steps closer to being fully awake and finally one eye opened slightly. He blinked sleepily and looked down to find an arm draped over his chest, a bump further down showing that a leg was similarly flung over his own underneath the covers. He was on his back towards the middle of the bed and Blaine was cuddled up to his left side, his face nestled into Kurts neck, blowing hot air against it, and his left arm and leg doing a great job keeping Kurt immobile.

If it wasnt for his arm, which had gone to sleep at some point during the night and was now a dead weight attached to his body, and an increasingly urgent need to pee, Kurt would have been content to stay there longer, reveling in blissful contentment.

But there was an arm to revive and a bladder empty, so instead, he reached out with his free hand to brush against Blaines neck, hoping to wake him, but Blaine just squirmed under his touch and rolled away, his mouth smacking a bit as he settled into his new position. Kurt made a note of his reaction, wondering if Blaine was ticklish. He was going to have to test out that theory later.

He hauled himself out of bed and hobbled to the bathroom, cursing the painful prickling feeling in his arm and one leg as blood rushed back in. After taking care of his more urgent needs, he splashed some water on his face and stared at the mirror. His hair was a wreck (a hand sliding up the back of his neck, fingers shaking as they clutched his hair), the skin on his cheeks and chin was slightly reddened (rough five oclock shadow grazing against his sensitive skin, followed by soft, nibbling lips), and there was a distinctly mouth-shaped mark low on his collar bone (pleasure sparking through every nerve as the insistent mouth sucked harder and harder before a tongue poked out to gently lave the spot).

He looked thoroughly debauched and he loved it.

Last night had been a revelation. Was that how amazing sex normally was for other people? Had he been doing it wrong all this time?

He used a new toothbrush he found in one of the drawers and ran his hands through his hair a few times to calm the wildest spikes before heading back into the bedroom, where he pulled a pair of bark blue boxer shorts and heather grey sweatpants out of a dresser and put them on.

Blaine was still asleep and he looked so warm and tousled that Kurt just wanted to fall back into bed beside him. Instead, he let his growling stomach lead him out to the kitchen, where he began to search the refrigerator and cupboards. He found the ingredients for spinach and cheese omelets and crepes with fresh fruit, so he pulled out a few pans and got right to work.

He was cooking and humming one of the waltzes from the night before when he felt a presence behind him. He looked back to find Blaine standing in the doorway, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his pants.

Kurt wanted to thrust his bottom lip out like a toddler who was told he couldnt have ice cream when he saw that Blaine had put a shirt on before coming out. "Hungry?" he called out over his shoulder as he slipped the omelet hed just finished onto a plate and slid it into the oven to keep warm.

Blaine walked over and pressed his lips to Kurts bare shoulder before grabbing two glasses from the cupboard and pouring some orange juice. "Starving. Somehow I seem to have worked up quite the appetite."

"Hmmm…it must have been all the dancing," Kurt said with a smirk as he poured the rest of his egg mixture into the pan to cook. As soon as he let go of the handle, Blaine grabbed his waist and spun him around so that they were facing each other. He caught Kurts eye for just a second before pulling him in for a steamy kiss that would have convinced Kurt to abandon his cooking efforts if his stomach hadnt rumbled loudly at that exact moment.

"No, no, no," Kurt said against Blaines lips, reluctant to break the connection. "Food first."

Blaine gave an exaggerated pout before heaving a sigh. "Fine, but as a penalty you have to teach me how to flip an omelet."

Their meal was served a little later than planned, since Kurt had to whip up the makings for another omelet when the first one Blaine tried to flip ended up half in the pan and half on the floor at his feet. Blaine had sheepishly admitted defeat and moved over to make the last few crepes while Kurt finished up the replacement.

Comfortable and fun were never words Kurt would have used to describe any of his previous first morning afters. Even with his long term boyfriends hed felt the need to retreat and spend some time alone to regroup and think about what had just occurred. With Blaine, the event seemed even bigger—a seismic shift instead of an opened doorway—but the need to pull into himself wasnt there. He had no desire to leave and from what he could tell, Blaine felt the same way.

They sat at the small table, eating their food and giggling over memories from the night before. As they spoke, their hands drifted slowly across the table until they joined in the middle. Trying to eat one-handed slowed their progress a little, but neither one was willing to let go.

The slip of Blaines fingers against his was distracting and Kurt lost track of the conversation several times as a rekindled heat low in his belly slowly spread up his chest.

"We should do the dishes," he suggested half-heartedly after theyd both pushed their plates away.

"We could do that. Or we could…" Blaines eyebrows raised up, forming the perky little triangles that Kurt was already starting to love.

"What?" Kurt asked innocently, wanting to make Blaine work for it, at least a little.

Blaine pulled on Kurts hand just hard enough to coax him out of his seat and tugged him forward until he was sitting in Blaines lap. He then wrapped one arm around Kurts waist and ran the other up his back until he grasped the back of Kurts head.

"Oh!" Kurt said with a sly smile as he learned forward for a kiss. "That."

=^..^=

The air in Blaines bedroom was heavy and warm and Kurt thought for a second about opening the window up a crack, but that would require getting out of bed, which would in turn require working limbs, which he just didnt have to offer at the moment.

He turned on his side so that he could look at Blaine, whose skin was still glistening with sweat and flushed with exertion. Blaine looked back and grinned. Kurt smiled in response, but his smile didnt last long. A wave of sadness crashed over him and it must have shown, because Blaine immediately sat up and grabbed his hand.

"Hey, whats wrong?" Blaine asked, concern furrowing his brow.

Kurt played with the edge of the sheet that was lying across his stomach. "I just remembered that Ive only got another two and a half weeks here. This isnt me, you know. I dont jump into bed with someone after knowing them for only one night and I dont do short term affairs."

"So are you saying that you dont want us to see each other anymore while youre here?" Blaine asked as he let go of Kurt and leaned forward to drop his chin onto folded hands.

"No! No, thats not what I meant," Kurt reassured him hurriedly. "Unless thats what you want?" Blaine shook his head emphatically. "Good. I just meant that this is kind of new territory for me and Im not sure how to handle it."

"Im no expert either, but two weeks is better than nothing, right? I say we just try and make the most of the time we have left." Blaine looked over at the laptop sitting on the desk in the corner as if he was trying to remember something. "Im pretty sure Ive got a full work schedule and appointments in the evening for the next two days, but maybe Wednesday we can get together? Have a real first date?"

Kurt was delighted at the suggestion. "I think I can pencil you in."

"Great!" Blaine exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Of course I dont want to skip over today. Since Victorian clothing might make for an awkward walk back to your car I think its best if you wait until later, when less people are out on the street."

"Oh, you think so, do you?" Kurt raised an amused eyebrow at Blaines not-so-selfless proposal.

"Mmmm," Blaine nodded. "Id give you a ride, but my car is still over there too. I have a business dinner tonight, but Im free until four oclock or so. We could talk, watch some TV —"

"And maybe go for round three?"

"And maybe go for round three."

=^..^=

Kurts step was light as he skipped up his front steps, careful to avoid the left side of the second stair, which made a horrible squealing noise when stepped on. Hed spent the whole day with Blaine and had somehow miraculously made it all the way back to his car and then home without anyone seeing him. A walk of shame (though there was absolutely zero shame involved. Was there a better phrase that described the return home after a glorious, regret-free and pleasure-filled night and day?) in period clothing was not something hed ever hear the end of if any of his new friends saw it.

As he opened the front door, he reached out and touched a fragment of peeling paint. Hed seen some incredible restoration jobs in the past few days and he couldnt help but imagine what Blaine and his crew could do for his run-down inheritance.

If Kurt was honest with himself, the thought of renovating his house had taken root as soon as hed learned who Blaine was and had only strengthened alongside their amazing connection. Now, in the clear light (okay, rainy dusk) of day hed expected the idea to seem silly and impulsive, and maybe it did, but it also seemed right and inevitable, like the path he was meant to be on had suddenly been shown to him.

He spent the rest of the evening pouring over his bank accounts and estimated renovation costs hed found on the internet. If he used all the money that his great-aunt had left him hed only have to dip a little into his savings (even less if he was able to resist the high quality, even higher price tag, vintage wallpapers and furniture he was sure were waiting to sing their sirens song to him.

With a decisive click, he closed the lid of his laptop and headed upstairs to get ready for bed and maybe catch a few episodes of some incredibly trashy TV show.

The next morning, he ticked off the first item in his project plan by making an appointment at Blaines office under the name "KH Designs." As soon as he hung up, he dialed another number.

"Kurt Hummel Designs, leather and fetish department. What kink can we help you dress today?"

Kurt rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "Santana, please tell me that isnt how you always answer the phone when Im not there."

"Well, well, well, if it isnt fashion designer Barbie checking in on the minions toiling back at the office," Santana drawled. "How goes the trek into the wild Pacific Northwest? Been chased by any hungry bears yet?"

"I havent really gotten out to see any wildlife yet."

"Not the kind of bears I was talking about, sweet cheeks. I figured if there were any gays out there in the woods with you theyd be the lumberjack type."

For the life of him, Kurt couldnt remember why hed thought talking to Santana would be a good idea. "No, no bears. Of any type. Listen, I just called to tell you that I think Im going to take your advice and stay out here longer."

"Kurt, are you all right?" Santanas question sounded more amused than worried.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you just said Im going to take your advice and lightning didnt come down to strike either one of us. I never thought Id live to see the day. So how much longer are you going to stay?"

"The whole six months." There was only stunned silence on the other end of the line, so he rushed onward. "Ive decided to renovate the house before I put it on the market."

"Spending five months renovating a house? Not exactly what I meant when I said you needed to relax."

"No, this will be good." Kurt shook his head, even though she couldnt see it. "I can get my creative juices flowing with the renovations and decorating. Blaine says…"

"Whoa. Hold up a second. Blaine? Im sensing your creative juices arent the only fluids about to be flowing up there. Tell me more," she demanded.

"Ew. And no," he said emphatically. "He just manages the company that Im going to hire to do the renovations. Nothing more to tell."

"Oh please, if you think I buy that for a minute then youve obviously forgotten about my psychic Mexican third eye. It sees all, Kurt."

"Im going to come back to New York for a few days soon to pack up some more clothes and stuff," he said, blithely ignoring her, "but I wont come into the office, so if you need me for anything well make plans to meet up. Ive got to go now. I have cookies that need to come out of the oven."

He pulled the phone away from his ear before she had a chance to respond, but as he reached out to end the call he heard her yell "The third eye sees all, Kurt! All!"

Santana always did like getting the last word in any conversation.

=^..^=

Blaine Anderson desperately wanted coffee.

Not the made-with-last-months-filter sludge that his assistant insisted on trying to force on him every morning, but the rich, heavenly brew served by his favorite caf� in town. He normally stopped there every day on his way into work for his morning dose, but today hed had an early conference call with his father and the line had been too long.

Now it was almost ten oclock and he felt like a junkie going through withdrawal.

He only had one more appointment on his calendar, though, and then hed be able to cut out for lunch early. Thinking that maybe Kurt was free to join him, he pulled out his phone to send a quick text. Itd been more than two whole days since theyd seen each other. Theyd exchanged several texts and had spoken on the phone Monday night, but Blaine had been too slammed to get away for any face time. Maybe it wasnt just coffee that his body was craving.

Was it possible to become addicted to someone so quickly? Because if it was, then he was definitely addicted to one Kurt Hummel.

Blaine had been captivated from the second the spotlight had found Kurt at the crowded auction. His pale skin had glowed under the lights and Blaine couldnt take his eyes off him. From the top of his gravity defying hair to the bottom of his elaborate vest (which had been as much of his body that Blaine could see at the time) everything about him was enthralling. Blaine had instantly felt like he was in one of those corny musicals where the music swelled when the main couple first laid eyes on each other.

He hadnt been excited about appearing in the auction. He was happy to do his part for charity and wasnt afraid of not getting any bids (he was observant enough to know that several women of his acquaintance would probably try to win him), but Port Townsend was the fourth place hed lived in as many years and he was long over the constant cycle of getting to know people. He couldnt count the number of dinner parties with new co-workers, uncomfortable flirtations, "yes, Im gay" conversations, and parties where hed known almost no one that hed experienced since hed begun this job for his father. He was a very social guy, but even he had his limits. By the time hed gotten to Washington, hed wanted nothing more than to just do his job and go back to his quiet apartment alone.

All of that had flown out the window when Kurt had taken his hand to help him off of the stage and hed looked into those spectacular blue-green eyes.

The buzz from the intercom on his phone jolted him out of his thoughts. He gave the bottom of his sweater a tug to smooth it out and pasted on a polite smile as he stood to greet his ten oclock appointment. Surprise couldnt even begin to describe his reaction when his assistant escorted Kurt into the office.

"Kurt!" Blaine was across the room and pulling Kurt into his arms before he had the chance to respond. Blaine kissed him gently and ran a hand up his back. "Not that this isnt a great surprise, but you do realize youre about eight hours early for our date?"

Kurt grinned at him mischievously. "No, I think Im right on time, actually."

Blaine shot a puzzled look back towards his desk, where his calendar was still open on his monitor. "So, Im guessing that youre KH Designs?"

"Guilty. I didnt want to spoil the surprise by using my name." Kurt was bouncing on his toes in excitement.

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "What surprise? Are you here to take me out to lunch? Its a bit early, but—"

"No!" Kurt interrupted as he began to wiggle like an over-excited puppy. "Ive decided to renovate my house and I want you…well, you and your company, to do the work."

A rush of delight threatened to overtake Blaine, but he didnt want to make any assumptions, so he tamped down his feelings and attempted to clarify the situation. "I thought you were only staying a few more weeks. Do you want to manage the renovations from New York? It makes things harder, but we can definitely—"

"Im staying for five more months!" Kurt blurted out, cutting him off again, but Blaine didnt mind in the slightest. "I just…after last weekend I… this seemed like the perfect excuse to stay in town and get to know you better." He paused for a beat. "Plus Ill get a higher price for the house! I should have started with that, huh? Do I sound like a stalker? Oh god, I do. Im a weird stalker whos making major financial and life decisions because on a guy he met less than a week ago."

Blaine felt his scalp tingle in arousal as he watched the color bloom on Kurts cheeks, but he ignored it, wanting to act professionally. It wouldnt look good at all to have his assistant walk in and find him ravishing Kurt on the desk.

"Of course you dont sound like a stalker." He took a step back from Kurt to clear his head, but the wonderful scent that was already burned into his brain under the bolded title "Kurt" followed him, tickling his nose. "Youre right, you will get more money for the house if you renovate, maybe even double what you put into it. It just makes financial sense. And Id be lying if I said I wasnt thrilled that youre going to be in town longer. Are you sure you can leave your business for that long, though?"

Kurt shrugged. "I might have to make a few trips to New York, but my office manager has things under control. In fact, she begged me to take some extended time off, so I would imagine shes throwing an Ive just staged a successful coup party right about now."

Still trying to maintain his business demeanor, Blaine offered Kurt a seat and pulled his keyboard to him so that they could hammer out an outline of the renovations. Kurt described the ideas he had, from knocking down walls to updating the kitchen.

"Do you think all of thats doable in five-and-a-half months?" Kurt asked as he bit his bottom lip anxiously.

Blaine stared at Kurts small little teeth tugging on his lip and fantasized about swiping all the papers from his desk and just going for it, assistant be damned. He let the daydream play for just a moment before pulling himself together, realizing that he still hadnt answered Kurts question. "Itll be tight, but if you have the money, we can do it. Im familiar with the house and I know several people on my crew have mentioned wanting to get a crack at it. Theyre going to be excited about this one."

Blaine didnt have any other appointments for the day, so they headed out to the house to do the initial walk-through. First, they walked around the outside while they talked about the exterior work Kurt wanted. Blaine could smell the tang of the sea in the air, even though he couldnt quite see the water from where they were. A few lazy seagulls flew overhead, probably on a search for an unsecured garbage can and he could hear a faint tapping sound from around the corner that probably came from a branch that had grown too close to the house being swung back-and-forth in the breeze that had just come up. It was a quiet, charming neighborhood that would be a great selling point for the house once it was on the market.

They finished up outside and headed in to go over Kurts ideas. Other than the tasks that were normally involved in a historical renovation, such as determining if the foundation needed any work or if the plumbing and wiring needed to be updated, Kurt wanted to combine two of the smaller bedrooms and enlarge the kitchen.

Blaine marked each idea down on his notepad and even scrawled down a few suggestions of his own to mention to Kurt later.

After they were finished, they had a leisurely lunch in town as they went over the plans. Finally, work talk was exhausted and Kurt began to recount a bizarre show he had watched the night before about a family who made their living by scavenging for antiques and collectible in garbage dumps and reselling the items on eBay.

As he watched the expressions of amusement and snarky judgment play over Kurts face, Blaine felt that bordering-on-painful shock go through his heart that had only happened to him once or twice before.

There was no question about it. Blaine Anderson was smitten.

=^..^=

Blaine picked Kurt up at his house that night for their first official date. When Kurt opened the door, Blaines face was hidden behind a lovely bouquet of roses that looked like theyd come from an actual florists shop and not the cold case at the local grocery store. Kurt mentally gave Blaine his first "perfect boyfriend point" according to the rules that he and his best girl friends had devised during numerous sleep overs in high school.

He got point two for what he was wearing. Given that most of the time theyd spent together either involved costumes or sweat pants and t-shirts, Kurt didnt yet have a solid handle on Blaines style. He could see, however, that the preppy, slightly out-of-time look from the coffee shop was still an ongoing theme. There was no bow tie that evening, but Kurt could definitely put his brightly colored designer cardigan (if it wasnt Brooks Brothers, Kurt would voluntarily drink the toxic green "hangover cure" that Santana stumbled into the office carrying every time she overindulged) and painted on khakis in the same fashion show with his earlier outfit and create a cohesive point-of-view.

He approved. Not to sound shallow, but he didnt know what he would do if Blaine liked to dress in sports jerseys and basketball shorts. Outside of the guys within his own industry (who he refused to date. The fashion world was way too small—and already too catty—to risk turning anyone against you because of a failed romance), most of the guys he met in New York fell into one of five categories: cookie cutter expensive-suit-looks-like-a-lawyer, hipster Im-rich-but-I-dress-like-Im-homeless-arent-I-co ol, fashion wannabes who were more victim than trendsetter, the boring old my-mom-still-buys-my-clothes, and last-months-QG-said-this-look-was-in. It was refreshing to see someone try their own thing and succeed at it.

The rain started during their drive into town and by the time Blaine parked the car it was pouring like Kurt had never seen it. They made a run for the door of the quiet waterfront restaurant where Blaine had made reservations, trying in vain to avoid the puddles that were forming on the sidewalk.

They came to a stop once under the awning at the front of the building, laughing together at the havoc the rain had played with their carefully pressed clothes.

"What would it cost to turn my house into an ark instead?" Kurt asked with a chuckle as he wiped water from his cheek. "That might sell better around here."

Blaine reached out and caught a raindrop that was hanging on a piece of Kurts hair. "Im told the rain stops off-and-on in April and May, and then disappears like clockwork on July 5th."

"Thats…specific."

"People here swear its the truth."

Kurt squinted out at the rain. "July 5th, huh? I definitely think we need to look deeper into this ark idea."

They were shown to a table alongside the windows, where they proceeded to make the typical "getting to know you" conversation generally associated with first dates over steak and locally caught crab.

Kurt told Blaine how hed gotten started in fashion and they talked about their surprising similar, yet oh-so-different backgrounds. Blaine described the various places hed lived for his job and Kurt waxed poetic about the mecca that was New York City.

After dinner, they walked a few buildings down the road to a frozen yogurt shop, where Kurt teased Blaine into taste testing all the flavors and shook his head sadly when he still filled his cup with plain old vanilla. Kurt choose pomegranate, topping his treat with several kinds of fruit, but regretted his choice when he saw Blaine loading up on brownie bites and peanut butter cups. He snuck back in line and added a spoonful (okay, three spoonfuls) of mini-chocolate chips. After all, it was only good manners not to make Blaine eat junk food alone.

Hed just taken an extra-large bite, savoring the tangy flavor of the frozen yogurt, when Blaine finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"So what does it mean for us, now that youre staying in town longer?"

Kurt dipped his head and concentrated very hard on spooning out the perfect ratio of yogurt to topping. "Im hoping it means that we give this thing a shot. That we try for more than just a…a quick vacation fling. Thats…thats what I want."

Blaines hand settled over his, drawing Kurts head up until their gazes met.

"Thats what I want, too. I know we havent known each other long, but I think this could really be something special, Kurt." Kurt smiled with relief, his heart beating a mile-a-minute in his chest. "And, Im not sure if youre aware of this, but Anderson and Sons has a big office in New York. My fathers mentioned before that it was possible Id be moved there next, so…"

Blaines announcement sent a shiver down Kurts spine. He brought his spoon up to his mouth, licking the contents off much more sensually than hed planned, if the darkening of Blaines eyes was any indication.

"Are you almost done?" Blaines voice dropped low, rumbling in his chest. Kurt nodded. "Good, cause I think Id like to get another look at your house. I have a feeling I didnt inspect the bedrooms carefully enough during our walk-through."

"Well, we cant have that. That could lead to unexpected costs and schedule delays."

They walked very quickly back to the car, even though it was no longer raining.