April 1, 2023

"Can I come over?" Blaine whispers. He stares at Kurt's bare back through the mirror and barely breathes as each nanosecond of silence stabs at his soul like an eternity of potential rejections.

"Yes."

Stunned, Blaine remains silent. He thought perhaps they would finish their mutual masturbation over the phone, leading to yet another lonely night in his double bed followed by another awkward morning walk to the coffee shop where they continue to pretend that they are nothing more than friends. This is where Blaine's mind drifts after he asks if he can come over, and he thinks Kurt's positive response is a product of his hopeful imagination.

Until Kurt says it once more. "Yes. Please. Just give me a minute, okay?"

Blaine feels his lips move of their own accord into in a huge, beaming smile. "I'll brush my teeth first," he says. Kurt has already grabbed the chair in one hand and the dildo in the other and rushed out of Blaine's view. Blaine pumps his fist in the air and pulls on a pair of underwear, practically hopping with both feet into the leg holes in his haste. He's almost to the bathroom when he rushes back to the closet for a pair of pants, pushing his erection back with one hand while zipping up with the other. Blaine doesn't care if anyone sees him in the hallway in his underwear, but Kurt might. And Blaine doesn't want to do anything to make Kurt uncomfortable, to break this magic spell and have Kurt revert back to his usual "I don't do boyfriends" stance. He doesn't bother with a shirt, but does brush his teeth and rummages through his bedside table for a condom before bounding out to the hallway. He rushes back in to grab his keys from the peg on the wall and locks the door, shoving the keys into his pocket.

Kurt's door swings open slowly before Blaine even raises his hand to knock. His cock twitches at the thought of Kurt watching for his arrival, impatiently stroking himself as he stands at the door, peering through the peephole into the hallway, softly moaning in desperation for Blaine's touch. Blaine feels his cock twitch at the thought. He's been hard for so long and his hands are trembling and aching with desire to touch Kurt at last.He wants me now. I can touch him everywhere.

Blaine expects Kurt to be naked, cock weeping pre-come and slick and gaping. Blaine expects Kurt to jump on him immediately, to ply him with sloppy, needy kisses. He expects Kurt to back him up toward the nearest chair, stripping off his clothes roughly before throwing him down. He expects Kurt to sink down onto his throbbing cock without warning, not even bothering to stop for a condom or extra lube, his greedy asshole sucking Blaine inside as he pumps himself up and down. He expects Kurt to ride him, head thrown back and already screaming, pushing Blaine's hand to his cock and guiding him in a fast rhythm. He expects to jerk Kurt hard and fast, his cock warm and solid in his hand, his other hand grazing Kurt's thigh, feeling the muscles flex and bulge as he works himself up and down on Blaine's cock. He expects that he will barely be able to contain his own moans as Kurt's ass clenches around him, to cry out his own ecstasy and release his load into Kurt's hot channel just as Kurt paints his chest white with ropes of pearly white come.

Blaine blinks back his fantasy and focuses on the sight in front of him. Kurt, hair slightly tousled, covered almost head to toe in a luxurious, fuzzy black robe. Kurt, looking past Blaine into the dimly lit hallway, eyes darting frantically back and forth.

Kurt grabs Blaine's hand and pulls him into the apartment, closing and locking the door. Blaine feels the touch like an electric jolt running from his palm through his body, straight to his cock. But Kurt drops his hand as soon as he's clear of the doorway, and turns to face him.

Kurt only meets his eyes for a moment, before looking down shyly. "I, um..." he tries, before trailing off. Kurt's gaze sweeps across Blaine's bare chest, then drops to the floor again. Haltingly, he says, "It's, uh, been a while. I mean, I know we were just saying all kinds of – stuff – to each other on the phone. But, um, I'm not sure what to do now." He finally meets Blaine's eyes again, giving him a self-deprecating shrug and scrunching his face apologetically.

Blaine steps forward and places his hands tentatively on Kurt's biceps. "Just let me touch you, Kurt. Please?"

As soon as he makes contact, Blaine feels the muscles jump under his hands and Kurt's eyes open wide as he sucks in a sharp breath. Blaine tightens his grip, slowly and sensually rubbing soothing circles into Kurt's arms with his thumbs. He is lost in Kurt's eyes, drinking in the mesmerizing swirls of blues, yellows and greens that sparkle and flash in the flickering candlelight. He looks from one eye to the other, mapping out their depths. Kurt lets out a breath slowly, and Blaine can feel a teasing ghost of air on his own lips. He licks his lips in anticipation and Kurt's eyes dart down at the movement. Kurt's eyes stay focused on his lips and Blaine takes it as a signal to proceed. He inches forward slowly, watching Kurt's eyes flutter closed as lips make contact with soft lips.

The kiss is sweet and chaste, just a pressing together of lips, a light pressure, a slight suction. Blaine pulls back just an inch, but Kurt chases him with his mouth, kissing him gently and off-center. Blaine's stomach is flipping wildly, his heart pounding and his lips tingling. Every part of his body throbs and aches with the need for more. Blaine snakes both hands through Kurt's hair, his finger nails scratching lightly at Kurt's scalp and holds his head firmly as he presses forward, sucking in Kurt's lower lip and pulling back gently, working his mouth open. Blaine caresses Kurt's cheek with one hand, dragging his fingers down and rubbing lightly against the trace of stubble on Kurt's neck. Kurt's mouth opens in anticipation and Blaine presses closer to him, licking along his bottom lip before slipping his tongue inside.

Kurt opens his mouth wider, granting Blaine access. As Blaine's tongue slips inside, Kurt moans and plants his hands on Blaine's back, pulling him closer until they are almost flush together. Kurt's hands burn hot on Blaine's bare skin and it's almost too much, feeling that heat on his back as Kurt grips him tightly, feeling the heat in his wet mouth as he explores with his tongue. Blaine tilts Kurt's head back and deepens the kiss, whimpering as Kurt's tongue begins to slide along his own, exploring the cavern of his mouth. The kiss lasts forever and not nearly long enough, but at last Blaine pulls back, panting for breath.

Blaine steps back and smiles, running his hands along the collar of Kurt's robe and down the seam. "May I?" he asks hopefully, already starting to tug the two sides apart.

"O-okay," Kurt stutters, forcing the arms that were already starting to cross in front of his stomach back down to his sides.

Blaine pulls the robe apart and slips it over his shoulders, letting it pool to the floor. He stares, open-mouthed, at Kurt's pale skin. Blaine's mind swims and he feels almost weak at the knees as he feasts on the mouth-watering sight of a stark-naked Kurt before him. Being so close to him, with no barriers – glass or clothing – between his eyes and Kurt's body – is intoxicating. Kurt's biceps and forearms seem even larger and more defined in person than they had through the mirror. The tight muscles of his abdomen jump slightly with the rush of cold air. His cock is flushed pink and half hard. His thigh muscles well-defined, dusted with a light coating of fine hair. "God, Kurt. You are so beautiful."

Kurt's lips twitch up in a small smile. Softly, he says, "Wow. Um, no one's ever called me that before."

"I don't know how that's possible. Because you are. So beautiful. And so precious. I'm so incredibly lucky that you are sharing this with me," Blaine says reverently as he gestures at Kurt's body.

"That's incredibly sweet of you to say, Blaine," Kurt mumbles a bit dismissively, as though he still doesn't quite believe Blaine's words. "But I'm starting to feel a bit uncomfortable just standing here like this. Kind of exposed, you know? By myself."

"Is that your convoluted way of asking me to get naked, too," Blaine teases.

Kurt laughs nervously. "That would probably help."

Blaine keeps his eyes trained on Kurt's face, studying his reactions as he unbuttons his pants and slowly works them, and his underwear, down his hips. He stretches the underwear forward to pull them free of his straining cock, and shudders in pleasure as the fabric rubs against his throbbing skin. Kurt's eyes widen and his mouth opens slightly. He leans forward a bit, licking his lips hungrily as his eyes sweep across Blaine's body. Kurt sucks a deep breath in. Letting it out, he says in a breathy rush, "You're beautiful, too."

Blaine runs his hands lightly up Kurt's arms, like he is a skittish animal, as if he would balk and vanish or put a stop to this any second. He still can't quite believe that this is real, squeezing Kurt warm flesh beneath his hands, proving to himself that he is indeed solid and not ephemeral. Kurt mirrors his actions, running his own hands up Blaine's arms, pausing to squeeze his biceps gently.

Kurt's touch sends a jolt of electricity through his body and suddenly Blaine is desperate to close the distance between them. He steps in, mouth already open, enveloping Kurt's lips in his own. His hands move to Kurt's lower back and he pulls him even closer as he opens his mouth with his tongue, gentle but insistent. Kurt moans as Blaine's tongue enters his mouth once more. Kurt's fingers dig into Blaine's hips, dragging him forward. They groan in unison at the incredible shock of pleasure as their cocks meet between their tightly pressed bodies. Blaine grips Kurt tight, hands dipping down onto the swell of his ass, and rolls his hips in a sensual dance.

Blaine sucks wet kisses all along Kurt's jaw and down his neck, licking and nipping, up and down, guided to the most sensitive spots by the delicious mewls and moans they elicit from Kurt between his ragged pants and gasps. He grips Kurt's ass cheeks in his hands and pulls them apart in small circles as he continues to grind their cocks together. Kurt is moaning and whining continuously, and Blaine massages his ass in larger and larger circles as Kurt quivers in his arms. When Blaine's finger dips into the seam of his ass, Kurt bucks backward and cries out.

Blaine circles the puffy, slick hole with his finger and Kurt freezes. Startled, Blaine stops. For a few moments, they grip each other tightly, only their ragged breaths breaking the silence. Blaine pulls back and studies Kurt's face. His expression is unreadable.

"Is everything okay?" Blaine asks.

Kurt shifts his focus from the middle distance to Blaine's face. "Um, yes. It's just, uh – like I said before. It's been a while." He looks down and steps back, arms wrapping around his middle.

Blaine babbles desperately, blurting out every thought that comes into his head in an effort to bring Kurt into his arms once more. "That's okay. We don't have to have intercourse. I mean, you're right. We're probably moving too fast." Blaine trains his eyes on the floor as he paces back and forth in front of Kurt. "There are so many other things we could do. Like blow jobs. Blow jobs are good. Or we could just jerk each other off. That can be nice. Or, maybe we don't even do that. I'd be happy to use your dildo on you, or a vibrator if you have one. ..." Blaine trails off as he looks up at last and registers the shocked expression on Kurt's face. He rushes to add, "Or nothing. Cuddling. Talking. With clothes. Or whatever you want, really."

Kurt jumps in, talking over Blaine's last words and waving his hands to get his attention until Blaine falls into silence. "Okay, okay. It's okay, Blaine. I do want to have sex with you. I just – I don't have adildo." He says that last word as if it is something too filthy, too demeaning to comprehend. A faint blush dusts his cheeks and he drops Blaine's gaze for a moment. Blaine has to bite his lip to keep from calling Kurt out on his lie.Right. I'm not supposed to about know that."It's just – it has been a long time since I've... been with someone," Kurt continues hesitantly. "I'm not exactly prepared. You know, for being safe."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Blaine says, smiling with relief. "I didn't want to presume or anything, but I did bring a condom with me just in case." Kurt still looks tense and it triggers Blaine back into babbling. "But I understand if you're not comfortable with intercourse yet. Like I said, there's always blow jobs. And I'm really good at them. Of course, I only brought one condom. But that's okay. I can just do you. I mean, I like doing it. I could probably come just from that."

Kurt raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. Blaine continues, his words almost jumbling together as he talks faster and faster. "Or, you can use the condom to fuck me. I mean, I'm not going to assume that you want to bottom, even if you fingered yourself. At least, I assume you did that – or something – since you felt so slick when I touched you there." Blaine's eyes sparkle and he grins like a schoolboy discovering a huge pile of presents under the Christmas tree. "Oh, I just realized something! I could just go back to my apartment and get some more condoms. That was kind of dumb of me to just bring one. But again, I didn't want to presume."

He stops and looks at Kurt's raised eyebrow, wishing the floor would just open up and drop him into the apartment below. He is just starting to wonder if he has read this whole thing wrong when Kurt's face starts to crack. It's only another moment before Kurt is laughing out loud. "Oh, I'm sorry," he chokes out between guffaws. "I should have stopped you. But that was so precious."

Blaine is unsure whether Kurt laughing at him, naked in the hallway, is better or worse than his previous stunned silence. "Um, do you want me to get another condom? Or, should I just leave?" Blaine asks, already crouching down to reach for his pants, crumpled and defeated.

Kurt grabs his hands and pulls him close. "No," he says hesitantly. He looks at their joined hands, swinging them back and forth a few times and repeat, "No." Squaring his shoulders, Kurt seems to makes a decision. He leans in close and speaks in a low, sultry tone that sends sparks through Blaine's entire body. "I don't want you to leave. I want you to fuck me."

"Oh God, Kurt," Blaine groans as they press against each other again, kissing messy and deep, fingers digging into each other's backs.

Blaine pulls away for a moment to fish the condom out of his pants pocket and glances hopefully at the mirror in the next room. "No making out on the couch," Kurt admonishes, tugging Blaine gently by the arm. "Come on. Bedroom, now."

"Are you sure?" Blaine asks, as he follows Kurt down the hallway past the bathroom. "I thought maybe you might want me to sit on a chair."

Kurt stops in his tracks and turns to stare at Blaine. "Why would I want that?"

"So you can ride me," Blaine answers without thinking. Seeing Kurt's furrowed brow he quickly adds, "I thought you would like to be in control. Since you said it's been a while. I, um, don't want to hurt you."Although I'm pretty sure it would be impossible to hurt you now, after you drove yourself wildly up and down on that thick dildo just moments before I came over. The dildo you don't want me to know that you have.Kurt continues to look puzzled, so Blaine continues."A chair could help you get leverage. But the bed is good, too. I can just lie down and you can climb on top of me..."

"I'd really rather not," Kurt says finally. "I think it would be easier for me if you just...top from on top. Okay?"

"Of course," Blaine says smoothly, masking his disappointment with a smile. He pushes gently against Kurt's hand that is still wrapped around his wrist and steps forward. Kurt turns and continues leading him into the bedroom.

Blaine tosses the condom on the bed, then lunges forward and wraps his arms around Kurt's waist, pulling him flush against his body. Kurt gasps as Blaine runs his hands up and down, alternately tweaking a nipple and tickling at the fine hairs at the base of his abdomen. Blaine bends his knees, pulling Kurt's hips back and rubbing his hard cock underneath Kurt's ass. Kurt lets out a low whine as Blaine grips his cock with a loose fist, pumping his hand up and down and swiping his thumb across the moist tip. He lifts up on his toes, his cock catching at the base of Kurt's ass before popping free to slide up against his lower back. Blaine keeps one hand secure on Kurt's cock, pumping slowly as he rises up. The other hand is on Kurt's nipple working it into a small, hard nub with insistent fingers. Fully raised up on his toes, Blaine sucks at the back of Kurt's neck. He pushes on Kurt's back, forcing him to bend over the edge of the bed.

"No, wait." Kurt commands. Blaine releases him and he scrambles fully onto the bed, flipping over onto his back. "Like this," he says, reaching out his arms and pulling Blaine down on top of him.

Blaine reaches for the condom and rips the foil, pulling it out and rolling it into place. Kurt rolls over and pulls open a drawer, revealing several large bottles of lube. He hands a bottle to Blaine and he pops open the cap, dribbling some over his cock before spreading it out with two quick jerks. He dribbles some more on his hand and shuffles closer to Kurt on his knees. Kurt lifts his legs and grips behind his knees, pulling his legs back and exposing his hole. It's still gaping, puffy and slick from his earlier adventures in front of the mirror. Blaine plunges in a lubed finger, leaning over Kurt to capture his lips in a deep kiss. Kurt's legs buck and writhe beneath Blaine's torso. Blaine pulls his finger out and adds another, probing deeply until Kurt twitches and moans greedily into his mouth.

Blaine pulls his fingers out and raises himself up on his knees. He drinks in the vision of Kurt spread out beneath him. Kurt's bangs cling to his glistening forehead and his pupils are blown wide. He pants and squirms and whines as if this is all just too much, too delicious, gripping his thighs tighter and pulling them closer to his chest, stretching his twitching hole wide. Blaine dribbles more lube on his own cock and on Kurt's. He presses the tip of his cock against Kurt's hole gently, gripping the base with one hand and rubbing his cock in small circles against the puckered flesh. Kurt whines and rocks against him, wriggling his hips in an effort to push Blaine's cock further in. "Please," he whimpers, and Blaine is gone, pushing slowly against the first ring of muscles until the hole opens up and sucks him in, pulsing deliciously around him. He rocks gently in and out of Kurt, pushing his thighs further and further into his chest as he thrusts.

Blaine's hand wraps around Kurt's cock in a tight fist and he pumps it up and down, squeezing rhythmically, matching the squeeze of Kurt's hot, tight ass around his cock. Blaine bends and pushes and thrusts even more deeply into Kurt in an effort to bring their mouths together. He whines into Kurt's mouth desperately as his hand speeds up to match his frantic thrusts. The pleasure is building within him into a white hot heat threatening to burst in his brain. Kurt is squeezing against him as he starts to shake, moaning and mewling into Blaine's mouth. Kurt's cock twitches and spurts and his ass clamps down impossibly tight on Blaine's cock.

It feels incredible. Blaine is balanced on the height of pleasure with the overload of sensations, but it is Kurt's face that sends him over the edge. Kurt's incredibly beautiful face as he shouts out his open-mouthed bliss, eyes rolling back and every twist and twitch of his muscles ripe with pleasure as his cock paints their bodies with hot come. Blaine's whole body goes rigid as he releases his load with a wordless shout, before slumping against Kurt and burying his head in that soft, warm neck. Kurt wiggles his legs from beneath Blaine's body and wraps them tight around his waist, pulling him close.

April 2, 2023

Blaine awakens when he feels the bed shift beside him. He blinks his eyes open and watches Kurt as he slides out from under the covers, slides his feet into a pair of slippers, and quietly steps toward the door.

"Kurt?" Blaine calls out, his voice croaking a bit through the vestiges of sleep.

Kurt freezes, his back facing Blaine. "I'm going to jump in the shower now. I think we both need to get going if we don't want to be late for work."

"Wait," Blaine calls to his retreating form. Kurt halts in the doorway and looks over his shoulder at him. "Are we okay?"

"Yes," Kurt says crisply, jaw held tight. "Of course we are," he adds, stepping quickly out of the room. Blaine lingers for a few minutes after he hears the shower running, brow furrowed, pondering the hesitation in Kurt's eyes.

Blaine is a bit surprised when Kurt knocks on his door about forty minutes later. They exchange shy smiles, but no words, as they walk side by side to the coffee shop. Blaine wonders if he should offer to buy Kurt's drink, but Kurt strides swiftly to the counter to order for himself.

They slide into opposite sides of the booth and fiddle with their cups, stirring unnecessarily with the wooden sticks and blowing on the steaming surface, impatient to take a sip.

"Kurt," Blaine says stiffly. "Last night was amazing and incredible and more than I could have ever hoped for – "

"But..." Kurt cuts in, spitting out the word harshly.

"No, no, no, no, Kurt," Blaine insists. "There's no 'but'. There's an 'and', if you'll let me finish. Last night was amazing and I really want it to be more than a one-time thing."

Kurt eyes Blaine suspiciously over the top of his cup as he takes a slow sip. "Because you're looking for a very convenient fuck buddy?" he deadpans.

"What?" Blaine splutters. "No!"

"I wouldn't blame you," Kurt says coldly. "I kind of expect it. Even I can admit it would be convenient. Since I am right next door, after all."

"Kurt," Blaine says gently. "Will you please listen to me for a minute?"

"Okay," Kurt says slowly, drawing the word into two syllables.

"When I say I hope it can be more than a one-time thing, what I mean is, I want you to be my boyfriend," Blaine says with wide and hopeful eyes.

Kurt stares at Blaine fixedly, and it takes what feels like an eternity for his stern look to dissolve into the slightest of smiles. He looks down at his cup and says bashfully, "Well, if you're willing to put up with me. I mean, I don't exactly have the best track record as a boyfriend."

"I'm not worried," Blaine says with a soft smile. "From what you've said, it sounds like the problem is with them and not you."

"And what about you?" Kurt asks. "What's your track record being a boyfriend?"

Blaine purses his lips thoughtfully. "I don't know, really. I mean, I've had some friends with benefits in the past, and I've dated a couple of guys for a few weeks here and there. Had the occasional one night stand. But I've never really been someone's boyfriend before." He reaches for Kurt's hand and wraps both his hands around it, looking deep into his eyes. "I promise to do everything in my power to be a really great boyfriend to you, Kurt Hummel."

Kurt smile builds slowly. He tries to bite it back, to force his face into a serious look, but his lips crack open and soon he is beaming. "I guess I can give it a try. Being boyfriends."

Blaine gives Kurt's hand a squeeze. "Sometimes I wish there was a better word for it. Boyfriend just makes it sound like we're in high school, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I know. But I don't think I could ever introduce anyone to my Dad as my lover with a straight face." Kurt snorts, and pulls his hand out of Blaine's to cover his mouth as he tries unsuccessfully to turn his giggles into a dignified cough.

"Oh God," groans Blaine. "Don't even put that idea in my head. But you're right. I don't know of another good word for it."

Kurt looks thoughtful for a moment and posits, "There's always 'partner'. But I hate that word. It makes me think of cowboys. Or the New York Stock Exchange."

"And that's not very sexy," Blaine chuckles.

Kurt shoots Blaine a quick, tight-lipped smile and stands, gathering up his napkins and empty sugar packets.

"Are you leaving already? It feels like we just got here," Blaine says, pulling out his cell phone to check the time.

"I've got an early morning meeting with a client downtown, so I've got to run." Kurt says, leaning down to graze Blaine's cheek with a brief kiss. With his face still inches from Blaine's, he adds, "It's going to be a crazy day." Raising an eyebrow, he says suggestively, "But I'll get through it by thinking about the reward that awaits me when I get home."

Blaine's stomach swoops and his eyes narrow seductively. "Exactly what kind of reward are you expecting?" he asks, words dripping with innuendo.

Kurt straightens, slow and catlike, until he is fully upright. His face transforms from seductive to innocent in an instant. In a bright voice he says, "Finally getting to see that walk-in closet you've kept me locked out of for ten months, obviously." He takes a step back, grinning at the success of his subterfuge. "After all, if we're going to be boyfriends then I have the right to see if there's any room left in there for me to store my clothes. I'm due for a shopping trip."

Kurt finishes with a triumphant smile. But the smile quickly drains from his face as he registers Blaine's stricken look. "I'm just kidding," Kurt says with sudden seriousness. "I know we're far from keeping clothes in each other's apartments. We probably won't ever get to that point, if my past relationships are any indication. And even if we did get to that point, storing clothes in your closet would be silly anyway, since I live next door."

Blaine snaps his mouth shut. "Right, yes, I know," he stammers. "I mean, no. I think we'll get to that point. Just, um, not right now. Right? Just, uh, don't scare me like that again, heh, heh." Blaine nearly groans at his inability to form a proper sentence over the pounding of the blood rushing past his ears.

"I'll try not to scare you again. I do get to see the closet, though, right?" Kurt asks hopefully. "I mean, I think you know me well enough to understand that I'm not going to try to steal your identity or snoop through the documents you hide in there."

"Of course," Blaine answers quickly. "Um, are you going to be out all day, or are you working some at home?"

"Out all day, unfortunately. And I may be a bit later than usual getting home," Kurt sighs.

"Well, text me when you have an idea of when you'll be home. I can pick up something for us at the Thai place."

Kurt is already halfway to the front door, but he darts back and kisses Blaine deeply, leaving his head spinning. "That sounds wonderful. See you later!"

"Bye," Blaine says quietly to Kurt's retreating form. As soon as Kurt is gone, Blaine scrambles to pull his phone out of his pocket, fingers flying across the screen to pull up the number for the hospital. "Hi, it's Blaine. Listen, I woke up a bit late this morning and I'm feeling terrible." He pauses to cough a few times and throws in a sneezing sound for good measure. "Yeah, I better stay home today and get some rest. Those kids have enough going on without having to fend off my germs."

Blaine ducks out of the coffee shop and heads toward his usual subway stop, afraid to head back to the apartment in case he runs into Kurt again. Glancing over his shoulder, he walks past the subway entrance and toward a tiny office supply shop three blocks down. They haven't opened yet, so he walks around the block a few times, planning his day. When the shop opens, he is grateful to see that they do indeed have filing cabinets with locks. He buys one and checking the time again, heads back to his building.

Blaine works diligently, only stopping for a quick lunch and the occasional water or bathroom break. By the time Kurt texts that he is on his way home, Blaine has put up the drywall, removed all the clothing and clothing racks, repainted the walls, replaced the clothing and racks, added the filing cabinet and moved his files from the desk to the cabinet. He responds to Kurt that he'll have dinner ready, and places the call to the restaurant. He has a fan running to draw the paint fumes out of the window, and he lights incense to further mask the scent. A quick swipe of his finger across the freshly painted walls reassures him that it is at least dry to the touch.

Blaine hurriedly changes clothes and washes his face and hands, wishing he had time for a full shower. He surveys the closet once more and his eyes widen as they spot the bench. He's not sure if Kurt will remember Blaine insisting to the man at the community flea market that he didn't own a bench, but he doesn't want to take a chance. Tucking it under one arm, he rushes out the door. He is careful to leave the bench several blocks away from their building. He swings by the restaurant and just manages to get back into the apartment to turn off the fan and put it away before he hears a knock at the door.

"Damn, Blaine. Were you smoking pot in here?" Kurt asks before Blaine has even finished opening the door.

"What? No," Blaine scoffs. "It was – uh – stuffy. And I like the smell of incense. But I might have gone a little overboard."

He leans in for a kiss. Their lips meet briefly, but Kurt is already pulling away and walking past him. "I've been thinking about that closet all day."

Blaine laughs nervously. "You don't even want to eat dinner first?"

"Nah. Dinner can wait." Kurt rushes to the closet door with an excited bounce in his step. "May I?" he asks with his hand on the knob.

Blaine nods and sweeps his hand outward in a "go ahead" gesture, holding his breath and hoping the paint fumes are sufficiently dissipated.

"Oh, this is nice," Kurt says, awestruck. Blaine steps up to the doorway and watches in horror as Kurt walks along to the back of the closet, running his hand along the wall where the mirror was once visible. He forces his face back into a neutral expression just as Kurt swings around to face him again. "I am so jealous." Blaine smiles just a little, feeling the corners of his mouth twitch with the strain of his anxiety. The acrid stench of paint fumes curl at his nostrils, and he cringes, wondering what he can possibly say to explain it.

Kurt is tracing the wall with his hand absently as he walks back toward Blaine, this time looking at the racks of clothing and the small filing cabinet and nodding his approval. He stops just at the slight seam where the new drywall meets the old and Blaine's heart stops with him. "Huh, that's strange..." Kurt says, turning to look at the wall.

"What's strange?" Blaine blurts, his voice sounding too loud and too bright in his ears.Keep breathing. Just keep it together. You can tell him the bump is from fixing up the wall all those months ago. There's no way he's going to figure it out. Is there?

"This paint," Kurt says, looking at the wall in wonder. "What brand of paint is this?"

"Why?" Blaine asks too quickly.Now that doesn't sound suspicious at all.

"Because, it's incredible!" Kurt gushes excitedly. "I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Like what?" Blaine asks, puzzled, the pounding in his ears starting to slow down.

"You painted this almost a year ago, but this looks so fresh. I have to know what brand this is, Blaine. It could revolutionize my business!" Kurt bounces up and down on the balls of his feet, hands gesturing wildly. "So tell me, what paint did you use?"

"Oh – uh – I don't know. M-maybe I could try to find the receipt. I keep those sometimes..." Blaine winces and ducks his head apologetically.

"Oh, okay." Kurt says disappointedly. "I realize not everyone pays attention to this stuff. And it was a long time ago. But if you can remember – or find the receipt – that would mean the world to me."

"I'll do my best," Blaine says, taking Kurt's hand and leading him gently away from the closet.Thank God his nose isn't too sensitive."For now, let's have some dinner."

Just before they reach the kitchen, Blaine feels a tug on his hand. "What is it?" he asks, turning toward Kurt.

"Come here," Kurt says, pulling Blaine toward him by their joined hands. Kurt looks searchingly into Blaine's eyes, his face set in an intense, unreadable expression.Maybe his nose is more sensitive than I thought.Blaine braces himself for the inevitable questions, but Kurt smiles at him adoringly and says, "Thank you."

"For what?" asks Blaine, bewildered.

Kurt steps closer and puts his hands on Blaine's shoulders. "Thank you for trusting me. I know it was hard for you to open that closet door for me. I know I was flippant, teasing you about it this morning. And I'm sorry."

Shame washes over Blaine in waves and he bends his head, eyes trained on the floor so Kurt can't read the deceit in them. He mumbles dismissively, "Don't worry about it. It's not that big a deal."

"Blaine, look at me." Kurt massages Blaine's shoulders gently until Blaine raises his head shakily. Kurt's eyes are a mesmerizing aquamarine fringed with gold and Blaine is soon lost in them and Kurt continues. "Please don't dismiss this. I may not share your fear of someone stealing my identity, but I have my own fears. And I know how hard it can be to trust another person with something that triggers those fears. I just want you to know that I'm honored you trust me like that." Kurt looks at the space just past Blaine's left ear and blinks, his eyes shining and moist. "I'm, um, not all the way there, yet. With trusting." He looks back at Blaine again and says, "But I want to be. And I'm so proud of you."

"I want you to be," Blaine says, his voice cracking a bit with the overwhelming longing he has to be truly worthy of Kurt's trust and pride. When Kurt wraps his arms around his neck and leans in to press their lips together, Blaine squeezes his eyes closed against a threatening tear. Blaine forces his mind off of his secret and focuses all of his attention on the warm press of lips against his and the feel of Kurt's back beneath his hands.

April 28, 2023

Over the next few weeks, Blaine spends every possible moment planning and executing perfect dates with Kurt. He tells himself it's because he is trying to be the doting boyfriend Kurt deserves, but seems to have never had. He tells himself it's because he loves to see the surprised and delighted look on Kurt's face when he reveals their plans for the next evening. And whenever he steps into his closet to choose the perfect outfit for the next perfect date, and his eyes drift toward the blank wall where the mirror used to be, he rushes out and buries his guilt under yet another Yelp search for the best restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, and art galleries.

One night, after singing every romantic duet on the roster at Yelp's top rated Karaoke bar in the Bronx, they stumble back to Blaine's apartment. Blaine captures Kurt's lips with his own as he pushes the door shut behind them with one foot. He steers Kurt backwards, never breaking their kiss. Kurt lets out a startled laugh as Blaine pushes him onto the couch. Blaine crouches over him and leans in to kiss him again, but Kurt tilts his head away and pushes Blaine's chest, scooting further away on the couch as Blaine straightens into a sitting position beside him.

"What is it?" Blaine asks, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice.

"Blaine, these last few weeks have been great fun. Going out almost every night and – exploring each other when we get home." Hesitantly, Kurt continues. "I'm enjoying it, but I think we need to slow things down a little bit."

A chill runs down Blaine's spine and he's frozen in place. His words catch in his throat, strangled. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No!" A look of horror crosses Kurt's features. "Oh no, Blaine. That's not what I mean."

"What do you mean, then." Blaine hears the words as if from a distance as if someone else is having this conversation and he is just listening disinterestedly.

"I just mean we should slow things down. Not go out every single night. Before I met you, I spent a lot of time alone. And even when we became friends, we never spent this much time together," Kurt explains.

"But I like spending time with you," Blaine says, his voice rising with consternation.

"And I like spending time with you, too. But it's not good for either of us. I mean look at us," Kurt gestures between them. "We're both yawning and can barely keep our eyes open. This schedule – it's just not healthy." He bites his lip and looks down shyly before meeting Blaine's gaze dead on. "Besides, I feel like all this going out and doing things all the time is actually stopping us from getting to know each other better."

"I'm not sure I agree with that," Blaine says. "And how is spending less time together going to help us get to know each other better?"

"By making that time quality time," Kurt replies, leaning in and gesturing wildly as he warms to the topic. "Take tonight for example. I really like singing with you. I had a great time. But we spent almost the whole night singing – not talking or getting to know each other better. And yesterday was the movie at the dinner theater. So we didn't get to talk much at that. And when we got home, we were too busy having sex to talk."

"Was the sex not good?" Blaine asks.

"It was good. That's not the point," Kurt sighs in exasperation. "I just – I think you know that it's hard for me to trust people. And I really want to trust you. It would really help me to do that if I felt like we were able to talk more. And take things just a little more slowly. Is that going to be okay with you?"

"Well yes, I guess so." Blaine stares at the carpet. "Honestly, I thought you were going to break up with me. So this is definitely better. I think I can handle going out less often if it means we're going to talk more." He grabs Kurt's hand and squeezes, looking into his eyes. "I do want to get to know you better. I want to know everything about you."

"Thanks," Kurt says with a small smile. "I was a little worried about how to bring this up. But I think it will be better for us. And I think we can both use with a little time alone some nights just to recharge – and to work on our own projects. Like your music. And my acting. I actually missed a few auditions, but I would really like to get back out there. I'm just itching to be in another play."

"I suppose you're right," Blaine says wistfully. "It's just going to be hard to spend less time with you."

Kurt just smiles and leans forward to capture Blaine's lips in a kiss. Blaine opens his mouth and sighs, relishing the slick slide of tongue against tongue as he clutches the back of Kurt's head and deepens the kiss. They kiss slowly and languidly for a few minutes.

Kurt hums contentedly against Blaine's lips, then draws back and smiles at him. He extracts himself carefully from Blaine's embrace and stands. "Well, it's late. I should head back to my apartment."

"No, wait. Don't go yet." Blaine leaps to his feet and steps between Kurt and the door. "Can't our whole 'spending less time together' thing start tomorrow? Please?"

"You're so adorable. But trust me, this is going to make our time together much better. It will be so worth it," Kurt says with just a hint of flirtation in his tone and a slightly raised eyebrow.

Blaine places his hands on Kurt's shoulders and leans toward him with hopeful eyes. "May I at least have a final kiss good night?"

"I thought that was your final kiss good night," Kurt says teasingly, an impish grin dancing across his lips.

"Come here," Blaine says. Stepping forward he grasps Kurt's face between his hands and peppers kisses rapid-fire across his cheeks and nose and mouth.

Blaine draws out the soft, rapid kisses, desperate to keep Kurt with him as long as possible. The warmth of Kurt's cheeks and neck beneath his fingers ground him, holding the crush of black guilt and vague terror at bay. Blaine is all to aware that Kurt will walk out the door and it may be days before he can hold him like this again.

Driven by an all-consuming need, suddenly Blaine is pushing and pulling, sucking and licking at Kurt's lips and driving his tongue into Kurt's mouth. He pushes against Kurt's lips, hard and soft, fast and slow. He tilts his head first one way then another, chasing each unique sensation that comes from exploring Kurt's mouth from every angle.

Kurt moans a bit and grips Blaine's shoulders and it's like a fire is lit within him. Blaine grabs Kurt's hips tight with both hands and drags him forward, pulling their bodies flush as he continues the frantic kissing. His hands roam up and down Kurt's back, kneading into his flesh, pulling him closer and grinding against him. With his mouth still latched to Kurt's, Blaine slides his hands between them and grapples with the buttons on Kurt's pants. He tugs at the zipper violently and is already starting to drop to his knees when Kurt's hands on his upper arms tug him back to his feet.

"Right here?" Kurt gasps out incredulously, flushed and panting.

"Why not? I need you," Blaine groans, reaching for Kurt's zipper and once again dropping to his knees.

Kurt steps back and fastens his pants. "No. Not here. Not in the middle of your dining room. Let's just – let's just say goodnight for now and tomorrow we can – get intimate. In the bedroom. Like civilized people." Kurt helps Blaine to his feet again and rubs his arms soothingly.

"Why not here, though? Why not now? It's hot. And spontaneous," Blaine inches closer to Kurt, staring into his eyes and smiling, reaching for his hips to pull them close again. "Don't you like wild and spontaneous?"

Kurt steps to the side, walking around Blaine toward the door. He stammers, looking around the room and twisting his fingers together. "I just feel weird doing – that – in your dining room. It just feels too – public. And the bed is much more comfortable for those sorts of activities. And it's really late and we both have work tomorrow." His hand on the doorknob, Kurt finally looks directly at Blaine again. Wincing, he asks, "I'm not being too boring for you, am I?"

"No," says Blaine, keeping his voice as neutral as possible to mask his disappointment. "You could never be boring. And you're right. The bed is more comfortable. And it is late. Coffee tomorrow?"

"Coffee tomorrow," Kurt echoes, sounding relieved. He steps through the door and closes it gently behind him.

As soon as he's alone, Blaine feels his face fall into blank despondence and a frustrated sigh escapes him. He walks toward the closet on autopilot, palming his erection through his pants. He swings open the door and the ivory wall is like a punch in the gut. He gasps and shuts his eyes against the stark sight. Tugging painfully on his hair, he sinks down to the floor and chokes back his sobs. He reaches out his hand and strokes the wall, imagining Kurt on the other side, wild and carefree.

May 13, 2023

It's been two weeks since Kurt asked to slow down and since then they've only had one dinner date, one weekend errand run, and one rendezvous on Blaine's couch that involved more talking than kissing. Blaine spent most of the time apart continuing to plan elaborate dates, but this time he simply jotted down descriptions, addresses, and phone numbers for future use, rather than immediately making reservations. He also spent more time than he would care to admit with an ear up against the wall, straining to hear any sounds that would clue him in to what Kurt might be doing in front of his mirror. Even plucking at his guitar just seemed like a way to fill the time until he was tired enough to drift off to sleep.

Tonight, Kurt brings dinner to Blaine's apartment. Blaine is excited and eats quickly, chatting distractedly and silently willing Kurt to finish. Blaine barely waits for Kurt to dab at his mouth with a napkin before he tugs him off the dining room chair.

"I got something for you. Well, for us," Blaine says, bouncing on his toes a bit as he leads Kurt toward the sofa. He grabs a book off of the coffee table and hands it to Kurt.

Kurt tilts his head to the side and cocks an eyebrow questioningly, taking the book from Blaine's hands. He turns it over and reads out loud, "Complete Book of Questions by Garry Poole." He looks at Blaine again and asks, "What is this?"

"Just what it says," Blaine responds, pulling the book gently out of his hands and flipping through it. "Judy and Phil, two of the nurses at the hospital, were talking about it the other day. Apparently Judy and her husband use the book at dinner parties to break the ice and help everyone get to know each other better. I thought it might be good for us. You know, to get to know each other better – as boyfriends. Like you said you wanted to do. So, I went to the bookstore after work today and bought it for us." Blaine looks up at Kurt with big, round eyes that almost beg for approval. "Do you want to try it?"

"Um, maybe. What kind of questions does it have?" Kurt asks uncertainly.

"Good ones. On everything, really," Blaine says enthusiastically. "There are questions about your hopes and dreams, what kind of person you are, your childhood, your philosophy of life, moral dilemmas. We can just flip through and pick some to ask each other."

Kurt looks at the book thoughtfully. "I don't know. Just reading questions to each other out of a book seems a little weird..."

"Oh, okay." Blaine puts the book facedown on the table and pushes it further away, pursing his lips and not meeting Kurt's eyes. "I guess it was a dumb idea, anyway."

"No, Blaine, it's a good idea," Kurt insists, sliding closer to Blaine and briskly rubbing a hand up and down his back. "I'm just wondering if there's a way to spice it up a little bit."

"We could make it a drinking game. Or even better, a stripping game," Blaine says hopefully.

Kurt looks at Blaine appraisingly for a deliciously heart-racing moment before apprehension washes over his face. "Oh – um, I don't think I'm ready for that. Can we not?"

"Of course," Blaine says, struggling to keep his tone free of disappointment. "I was just joking," he added, not quite able to meet Kurt's eyes. He's still trying to think of something to say to move past the awkward moment when Kurt stands up and pulls a folded up piece of paper from his pocket. There are a few items written in a list on the top left corner. Kurt tears that section off and tucks it back in his pocket. He walks across the room and grabs a pen from the coffee mug filled with pens and pencils on Blaine's desk. Kurt sits down again and tears the paper into several pieces, passing about half of them to Blaine.

"What's this for?" Blaine asks.

"I have an idea about how we can use the book," Kurt replies. "How many questions does it have, anyway?"

Blaine grabs the book again and flips toward the last page. "One thousand."

"Okay," says Kurt. "On each piece of paper, write down a number between one and one thousand. I'll do the same. We'll put the pieces in a bowl or something and mix them up. You pick a number and you have to answer that question. We'll take turns."

"Oh yeah, that sounds good." Blaine says. Kurt writes numbers on his pieces of paper and hands the pen to Blaine. After jotting down his random set of numbers, Blaine rummages through the kitchen cabinets and comes back with a wide plastic bowl that he uses for eating popcorn. They drop the folded up pieces of paper into the bowl and Blaine shakes it dramatically, causing the papers to jump and dance. He reaches his hand into the bowl, but before he can make contact with a paper, Kurt wrenches the bowl away.

"Wait," Kurt yelps as he yanks on the bowl. "We need to discuss some ground rules."

"Seriously?" Blaine asks. "Why do you think we need rules? It's just asking questions."

"There might be questions I don't – we don't – want to answer." Kurt grips the bowl close to his chest, arms wrapped around it, biting his lip.

"No, come on. That's not fair," Blaine says gently. "This whole question game thing is supposed to help us get to know each other better. And to do that, we're both going to have to trust each other enough to answer whatever questions we get as honestly as possible." He puts a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder and, maintaining the contact, moves slowly behind him, massaging both shoulders soothingly. He leans forward and brushes Kurt's ear with his lips. He feels Kurt's knees buckle slightly and he snakes an arm around his waist to support him as he whispers, "I'll even go first."

"Mmmmm," Kurt hums contentedly, leaning back into Blaine's embrace. "Okay." Kurt spins around in Blaine's arms and leans over the bowl between them to kiss him softly on the lips. He steps back and holds the bowl out to Blaine.

Blaine reaches in and pulls out the number, handing it back to Kurt.

"Two-sixty," Kurt says, reaching for the book and dropping carefully back onto the couch. "Let's see what that one is." He flips to the right page and traces his finger down it. "Oh – this isn't too deep. 'Do you prefer to plan your vacation or be spontaneous?'"

Blaine hangs his head and looks up at Kurt sheepishly. "Um...I don't know how to answer this question, exactly."

"What, don't tell me you've never taken a vacation." Kurt says incredulously.

"No, it's not that. I've gone on plenty of vacations. It's just that I've never been the one to plan – or not plan – them," Blaine says, a blush rising on his cheeks.

"Well, that's very mysterious," Kurt says teasingly. "I think you need to explain yourself a bit further."

"It's not that mysterious or exciting, I'm afraid," Blaine says. "It's embarrassing, really, but my parents have planned most of the vacations I've been on. And they're usually pretty planned out. I've been to a lot of really amazing places – Paris, London, Bangkok, Dubai, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Rome. My mom would take me and my brother for a few weeks in the summer and my dad would join us for one week or a long weekend. After Cooper went to college, they sometimes sent me on a guided tour with other kids my age. But it was always planned to the hilt. Especially the guided tours. They'd have us traipsing around museums and cathedrals and monuments all day, take us to nightclubs to dance half the night, then drag us out of bed early in the morning to take a bus to our next destination. It was exhausting."

"Did you like being with your parents or being on the tour better?" Kurt asks.

"I didn't like being on the tours with the other kids. You would think that would be more fun than being with your parents, but it never worked out that way. I think it's because they would find a tour that was six weeks long and send me for only two weeks of it. So I would come in after all the other kids already had gotten to know each other, and it was always weird. And then I'd leave early, too. So I never got to that point of exchanging phone numbers or even friending them on Facebook."

"You know, you never really answered the question, though," Kurt says thoughtfully, studying the open book in his lap.

"Well you keep asking me other questions," Blaine protests. "What is the question in the book again, anyway?"

"Do you prefer to plan your vacation or be spontaneous?"

"Oh, right. Well, I've only ever been on planned vacations and I haven't really been in charge. But I think if I ever go on a vacation of my own choosing, I would want some spontaneity in there. You know, plan the basic outline of where to go and know I have a place to stay and maybe a few ideas of things to do or places to visit. And then just go and see what happens. See what I feel like doing, you know?"

"Yeah," says Kurt. "That sounds perfect. I've never been anyplace exotic on vacation. I've only traveled a little within the U.S., mostly to visit family. But I think the best way to visit another country would be to stay away from the tourist attractions and get to know the real people and the real places."

"Agreed," says Blaine. "Maybe we need to go on vacation together sometime." He laughs nervously, hoping he hasn't frightened Kurt.

"Maybe someday," Kurt says.

"Well, I think it's your turn to pick a number." Blaine shakes the bowl in front of Kurt. Kurt pulls out the number and hands it to Blaine, followed by the book. "Three thirty six," Blaine announces. After some searching through the book he reads, "What was an act of kindness you offered or received?"

"That's an interesting question," Kurt says slowly. "Let me think for a minute." He stares into the distance, brow furrowed, for a silent minute before a slow smile takes over his features. "Well, I feel a little weird telling this story. It feels a bit like bragging."

"It's not bragging," Blaine insists. "It's just answering the question honestly. I won't take it as bragging, I promise."

"Okay. There was a new student who transferred to my high school in my junior year. He was a sophomore. I met him when he joined our glee club. I thought he might be gay because he had very obviously dyed blonde hair."

"Is he? Gay, I mean." Blaine asks.

"No, Sam is straight. But he was pretty much the only straight boy in high school who didn't seem threatened by my gayness. I actually asked him to be my partner in a duet competition we were having and he said yes. In fact, from what I heard later, he even stuck with me after a former crush of mine told him that singing with me would be social suicide."

"Wow, it's pretty rare to find a straight guy – or any guy – in high school who will stand up to peer pressure like that. I bet you blew the competition away," Blaine says.

"Oh, no. We didn't perform together after all."

"Why not?"

"That former crush of mine talked to me about it, too. He tried to convince me that I shouldn't do that to Sam. That singing with me would be like painting a bulls eye on his back for the resident homophobic thugs."

"And you went along with that?"

"Not at first, but then he talked to my dad, too. And my dad agreed with him."

"Wait, a guy you used to have a crush on talked to your dad about you? How did he even know your dad? Were you even friends with this guy?"

"Yeah, we're friends. And step brothers, actually. Though we weren't at the time. His mom married my dad."

Blaine furrows his brow for a moment, thinking. "The guy who convinced someone else not to sing with you was your step brother? Finn, right? You've talked about him."

"Yes. He's come a long way, but back then he wasn't exactly my biggest supporter or the biggest supporter of being different in general."

"Wait a second. You had a crush on your step brother?"

Kurt gives an exaggerated wince. "Yeah, I know that sounds bad. But he wasn't my step brother at the time. By the time that happened, my crush was long dead."

"But still," Blaine insists, "that must be awkward."

"No, it doesn't really ever come up," Kurt says with finality. "Anyway, back to answering the original question. So, Sam and I didn't sing the duet, but we did become friends. And later in the year, his dad lost his job. Sam and his parents and his little brother and sister were all living in a motel room for a while. So I helped them out with some extra clothes and food. He was really embarrassed, so he wanted me to keep it a secret. Only one other friend of ours knew, and she and I helped babysit his brother and sister. We would take them out and make sure Sam had some time alone to get his homework done."

"Wow, all five of them in one hotel room. How long did he have to live like that?"

"It went on for a few months. Then his whole family moved out of state when his dad got another job."

"And you all kept that a secret from your other friends for that long?"

"No, actually. That wasn't possible because Rachel, who was really nosy, saw Sam wearing an old jacket of mine and thought that I was secretly dating him." Kurt pauses for a moment, as if working himself up to his next sentence. "So she started following me around to spy on us. It was actually the scariest thing in the world, to find out someone you love and care about, someone you thought loved and cared about you, is spying on you. It actually took me a long time to forgive her."

Blaine's stomach drops to the floor and he chokes back a gasp. Blaine doesn't know how long he stares at Kurt, mouth hanging open, head spinning, and blood rushing in his ears, before he's snapped out of it with Kurt's sharp, "What?"

"Nothing," Blaine says too quickly. Kurt is staring at him with his head cocked, like he is trying to solve a puzzle. Blaine stutters, "I mean – y-you're r-right. That does sound horrible. I c-can't imagine...What happened?"

"She accused us of having this secret relationship and started spreading rumors about it throughout the school. So we told her the truth. She ended up being really sweet and she and Finn helped raise some money to buy Sam's guitar back out of the pawn shop."

"Wow. Um, I know you're not close with Rachel anymore, but you did say you forgave her. For spying on you..."

"Yes, I did."

"How did that work? I mean, do you think if she did something differently that you could have forgiven her more easily?"

Kurt thinks for a moment. "Um, I don't know. I just wish she hadn't done it in the first place. Then I wouldn't have had to forgive her at all. But she was always like that. Sticking her nose in other people's business, trying to run everyone's lives, thinking she knew better than everyone else. She was always so annoying, but damn could she sing. Her voice is amazing. And she really is a sweet person. You want to kill her because she's so annoying and then she turns around and does something so loving..." Kurt pauses, smiling at a distant memory. Coming back to the present, he continues, his tone serious. "But I don't think she could have done anything to make it better. It just took time. And I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't have forgiven her. My own dad used to tell me I was way too forgiving. He blamed it on me being a teenager, and wanting to have friends so badly. It's not always a good trait to have. People start to walk all over you."

"No, no," Blaine says in a rush. "I don't agree with that. I think it's beautiful that you forgive people. More people should. Forgive, I mean."

"I don't know. Maybe you're right. But my Dad was right, too. I grew up, and I'm a lot more cautious now. Not that I can imagine a situation where something like that would happen to me again, but if it did, I don't think I could get over it." Kurt looks at Blaine pointedly and says, "It's you."

"What?" Blaine splutters, eyebrows threatening to jump off of his forehead.

"It's your turn," Kurt says with a quizzical look as he passes the bowl of folded papers to Blaine.

"Oh, right." Blaine coughs into his hand and rubs his eyes, relishing a moment to hide his face from Kurt's gaze. He reaches into the bowl and pulls out a number. "Three forty."

Kurt flips through the book. "Here it is. Three forty. 'Did a sibling or childhood peer ever tease or torment you?' It also says, 'share the details.'" Kurt looks at Blaine expectantly.

"I can definitely say yes to this one. I have an older brother. He's nine years older than I am. I'd say most of my early childhood memories involve being tormented by him," Blaine chuckles.

"What did he do?" Kurt asks.

"A lot of teasing about my height. Holding things just out of my reach, that sort of thing. I always had this daydream that when I grew up I'd be taller than Cooper, but it never happened. He's a good six feet and I'm still short."

"What about now? Do you get along any better?"

"Not really. I mean, we try a bit harder now, but it's hard to feel like you never measure up."

Kurt stares at him, biting his lips against a giggle.

"Oh God," Blaine groans, throwing his hand over his eyes dramatically. "I really didn't mean that as a pun, I swear."

Kurt's giggle bursts through the fingers pressed against his lips. It's like a dam breaking and they both laugh for a moment before catching their breath.

"I'm sorry," Kurt gasps out, schooling his face back to a mask of serious, attentive listening. "Please go on. I really do want to hear more about your relationship with your brother."

"It's okay, really. And there isn't much more to say. But I think one reason I didn't pursue acting or theater or singing professionally was so that I didn't have to compete with him so directly."

"What do you mean? Is he in show business in some way?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say that. He's not really famous or anything. I admire him for sticking with it in such a tough business – ". Blaine stops abruptly and sneaks a nervous glance at Kurt, wanting to kick himself for inadvertently saying something that could sound like a sleight on Kurt's own decision to quit trying out for Broadway productions. But Kurt just looks absorbed in Blaine's story. Blaine swallows back the apology lodged in his throat and forces himself to continue. "He's done some small parts in movies and TV shows. But he's never really made it big. And honestly, he's not really a very good actor. He thinks he is, though. And back when I thought I might go into acting or singing, he was always trying to give me all this ridiculous advice. He'd do it in front of my friends, too. And they were all hanging on his every word just because he'd been in some stupid commercial."

"Oh wait a second. Is your brother the guy who did those free credit rating dot com commercials? I thought I had heard that he was local."

"Yes, that's the one." Blaine rolls his eyes as Kurt sings the jingle excitedly.

"Oh my God, Blaine. I had such a crush on your brother when I was in high school."

"Wonderful," Blaine says flatly.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Kurt rushes to say, while leaning in to plant a soft kiss on Blaine's lips. "You're the one I'm with. And you're pretty cute, yourself." He pulls away from Blaine and settles back into his seat. "I might ask you to get me an autograph the next time you see him, though," Kurt teases.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Blaine rolls his eyes and pushes the bowl toward Kurt. "Your turn again."

Kurt flashes a quick smile at Blaine and reaches his hand in the bowl. "Seven nineteen." He hands the book to Blaine.

"Okay, here we go," says Blaine, opening the book. "In relationships, are you more often the 'heartbreaker' or the 'heart broken' and why? Hmm, do I really want to know the answer to this question," Blaine jokes. But the laughter dies on his lips as he looks up from the book into Kurt's stricken face.

They stare at each other in silence for a few moments before Kurt nearly whispers, "I didn't realize there would be relationship questions in here."

"It's okay, Kurt. You don't have to answer that. Let's just stop," Blaine soothes, scooting closer to Kurt and resting a reassuring hand on his thigh.

"You said we should answer everything," Kurt says grimly, staring at his hands.

"Forget what I said. It was stupid."

"No, Blaine. You're right. How can I ever fully trust you – or expect you to trust me – if I don't start taking that chance," Kurt says reluctantly.

"Look at me," Blaine pleads, ducking his head down into Kurt's line of vision. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. We can talk about this stuff any time. It doesn't have to be tonight."

Kurt's gaze finally reaches Blaine's eyes, resting there for a moment before darting away like a nervous bird. "I want to trust you," Kurt whispers brokenly. "I don't know what I'm so afraid of, really. I'm sorry. This is just so embarrassing."

"No, Kurt. Don't be embarrassed." Blaine stands and closes the distance between them, pulling Kurt up and into a tight hug. They stand pressed together for a long while, Blaine squeezing Kurt tight, rubbing a soothing hand up and down his back, as if trying to convey his trustworthiness through their very skin.

Drawing back, Blaine strokes the sides of Kurt's face softly, reverently, his pale skin the most precious and valuable thing Blaine has ever encountered. He presses gentle lips against Kurt's lips again and again. Feeling sudden moisture under his fingertips, he pulls back slowly and sees the tears streaming down Kurt's face.

"What is it, baby?" he asks softly and wiping and kissing the tears gently away.

"Blaine," he says brokenly, then buries his head in the crook of Blaine's neck, pulling their bodies flush into another hug. Blaine strokes his back as Kurt's tears roll down his neck and soak into his shirt. After a few minutes of silence, Kurt chokes out, "the way you touch me. Like I'm so precious to you. No one else has ever – " Kurt sobs, his body jumping in Blaine's arms like a frightened animal.

"You are so, so precious, Kurt. So precious." Blaine murmurs variations on this theme into Kurt's hair, finally whispering, "I love you."

Blaine isn't sure how long they stand there clutching each other. Eventually Kurt's breathing evens and his tears dry. Blaine doesn't press Kurt for details about his past relationships, but he does urge him to see a counselor to talk through his relationship and trust issues. "After all, I work in a hospital. I can hook you up with the best counselors out there. Might as well get some use out of me," Blaine jokes badly, forcing himself to chuckle. Kurt smiles and says he'll think about it.

The next day, when Blaine gives him a name and phone number, Kurt smiles and sticks the piece of paper in his back pocket. By the next week, Kurt mentions casually that he has booked an appointment.

May 13, 2023

Blaine is already soaking wet and quite cold, running homeward from the subway station through the rain, when Kurt, laughing and yelling at him to slow down, catches up to him, his modest umbrella just barely covering them both. "Why didn't you wait for me?" Kurt pants, his mock anger betrayed by the upward turn of his lips. "Now you're going to get me wet." Kurt slides his arm around Blaine's waist and holds the umbrella high above their heads as they walk.

"You could have told me you had an umbrella," Blaine whines.

"I really didn't think you'd take off like that," Kurt laughs. "Did you think that if you just ran fast enough, you could dodge most of the rain drops?"

Blaine gives Kurt a stern look, holding it for just a moment before a giggle breaks through. "Where did that umbrella even come from? Are you some kind of secret magician?"

"It's my emergency umbrella," Kurt says primly. "It folds up very small. I keep it in my bag at all times to avoid getting caught in an unexpected rainstorm wearing sensitive fabrics."

"That was unexpected, all right." The sky was perfectly clear when they had walked from the restaurant to the movie theater earlier that night.

Once in the building, Kurt shakes off his umbrella and they clamber up the stairs. Kurt leaves his umbrella in the hallway and follows Blaine into his apartment. "Just give me a minute to towel off and grab a dry shirt," Blaine calls over his shoulder, already heading for the bathroom.

When he gets to the bathroom door he turns, almost colliding with Kurt, who has followed him. "Why put on another shirt," Kurt asks slowly, "when I'm just going to take it off again later?"

"Well, in that case..." Blaine grins as Kurt runs a hand down his chest, pausing to circle a nipple through the clingy, wet cloth. Kurt smiles back and presses their lips together in a gentle kiss as he slowly works each button open, then slides the shirt off Blaine's arms.

Moaning, Blaine grabs Kurt's ass and drags him forward, deepening their kiss and grinding against him. He lifts Kurt by his hips and places him on the counter, forcefully pulling his knees apart and standing between his legs, gripping his thighs hard and rocking him forward as they kiss.

Kurt groans loudly and grips Blaine's biceps, opening his legs even wider and pulling Blaine closer with his heels on Blaine's back. Their kissing becomes more and more frantic as Kurt pushes and pulls, plunging forward with his tongue and pulling back to nip at Blaine's lip, little noises of pleasure escaping from his throat and into Blaine's mouth. Driven nearly mad with desire, Blaine rocks his hips forward hard, slamming Kurt backwards on the counter.

"Mmpff," Kurt grunts as though trying to speak, pushing back on Blaine's chest and breaking off their kiss. "W-wait," he pants, their lips only inches apart.

"What?" Blaine asks stupidly, unable to focus on anything beyond his overwhelming need to touch and kiss and press close to Kurt, who is wearing entirely too many clothes.

"I just – I don't think this is a good idea," Kurt stammers between ragged breaths.

"Why?"

As soon as Blaine releases his hold on Kurt's thighs, Kurt hops off the counter and rubs at his backside in an exaggerated fashion. "The edge of the sink was digging into my tailbone," he offers as an explanation, but he doesn't meet Blaine's eyes.

Blaine glances at the smooth, flat counter where Kurt had been sitting, nowhere near the edge of the sink. "Oh."

"Besides, it was getting a little weird," Kurt continues softly, still looking everywhere but directly at Blaine. "I mean, what were we thinking, anyway?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I was thinking that you are really hot and it would be incredibly sexy to just go at it right here, in the bathroom, in front of the mirror..." Blaine tries with a questioning tone.

Kurt picks nervously at his cuticle. "That's really nice of you to say, I guess – "

"I'm not just saying it," Blaine insists, a hint of frustration escaping in spite of his efforts to sound loving.

"I believe you," Kurt says, unconvincingly. "I just – think I'd feel more comfortable if we, you know, do things in a more, uh, conventional way."

"Oh," Blaine says flatly. "Um, okay. I guess we can do that." Although part of him wants to accuse Kurt of being a hypocrite, wants to figure out how to force Kurt into being as spontaneous, wild and kinky with him as he was on his own in front of the mirror, he stops himself. Instead, he takes a few deep breaths, takes Kurt's hand in his and leads him toward the bedroom.

"I'm not sure I'm even in the mood anymore," Kurt says, dragging his feet and trailing behind Blaine.

Blaine rolls his eyes, then schools his features into neutrality before he turns and kisses him – softly at first, then deeper. "Let me see if I can change that, okay?"

"Okay," Kurt whispers against his lips, following with small steps as Blaine walks backwards toward the bed, stopping every few steps to shed more clothing.

Blaine is relieved when he has Kurt's dick in his mouth, lubed fingers probing at his entrance. He glances up and sees that Kurt has his eyes closed.I don't know what's wrong with me. I should be thrilled. After all, isn't this what I've longed for – to touch him, to be the one to give him pleasure, to call him mine?And Blaine is so happy to have these things. But he had always thought that if he could just have Kurt as his boyfriend, he wouldn't spy on him anymore. That he wouldn't need to. But he really did think that Kurt would be as carefree and wild with him as he was on his own. And now that he's not, it's hard sometimes for Blaine not to regret the putting up that drywall.

Blaine pulls his fingers out of Kurt gently and puts on a condom, studying Kurt's peaceful face. Suddenly, Kurt opens his eyes and smiles, wrapping his legs around Blaine's torso as Blaine pushes against his entrance. Blaine smiles back – he can't help it.

Blaine's resentment melts away completely as he moves in and out of Kurt, leaning down after every few strokes for a kiss. Kurt comes first, clenching and thrashing and spilling over his own hand onto their stomachs. It's the sight of Kurt's face, twisted in ecstasy and his soft whimpers, even more than the vice-like spasm of his ass around Blaine's cock that has Blaine coming mere moments later. By the time he pants, "That was great," he tells himself that he believes it entirely.

Later, when they are both dressed again and lounging on the sofa with two steaming mugs of tea, Blaine asks, "Did you like the movie?"

"Yes," Kurt says lazily, stretching out one leg languidly and crossing it over the other. "I'm a sucker for a good old-fashioned romantic comedy. What did you think?"

"It was okay," Blaine says. "Fun, but not very realistic. I mean, you would be pretty hard pressed to find anyone in real life who ever had that many over-the-top embarrassing things happen to them in one week."

"Yeah," Kurt agrees. "I had some whoppers of embarrassing things going on in my life, but never all in the same week. It's a good thing those characters took it all in stride, or I would have felt bad laughing about it."

"I know what you mean," says Blaine. "They were in college, though. I would say that a disproportionate amount of the embarrassing things that happened to me took place in college. Or high school."

"Oh really," Kurt says with interest. "Do tell. What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?

"I don't know if I should tell you this," Blaine says, trying to hide his blushing cheeks by rubbing a hand over his face rapidly. "After all the hard work I've done to seem sophisticated to you."

Kurt, who had just taken a large swallow of tea, snorts and claps a hand over his mouth, muffling an ugly sound that is somewhere between laughing and choking. When he gets his breath back he deadpans. "Oh, come on. After I practically have tea shoot out of my nose in front of you? You have to tell me now."

"Okay, okay," Blaine says, holding his hands up in defeat. "Now believe me, I have a lot I can choose from, but I guess I would have to say the time I serenaded a guy I liked. He was a manager of the Gap and I showed up there unannounced, backed up by my entire show choir, and sang When I Get You Alone with full a capella backup."

"I don't know that song. How does it go?" Kurt asks.

Blaine hums a few bars of it. When Kurt shrugs and shakes his head, Blaine says, "I don't remember all the words. But just know that one of the lyrics is 'you can keep your toys in the drawer tonight.'"

Kurt starts to laugh and Blaine adds, "Yeah, it was that bad. Jeremiah – that was the guy's name – kept walking away from me and ignoring me, as if I must be singing to someone else. But I was so into the performance, that I didn't even really notice it. One of my friends had to point all of this out later."

"Wow," Kurt winces sympathetically.

"It gets even better," Blaine says wryly. "I jumped on the furniture – you know, the tables with the sweaters folded on them and stuff – several times. I think I even shimmied under one of the tables. It was pretty crazy. When I finally ended the song with a big flourish, I made a show of buying a pair of socks so I could corner him at the cash register and ask him out. This was right before Valentine's Day, by the way."

"What did this guy – this Jeremiah – do? Did he end up going out with you?" asks Kurt bemusedly.

"Are you kidding?" Blaine snorts. "This wouldn't be nearly as embarrassing a story if he said yes. Apparently, he wasn't out at his job. And his boss didn't like the disruption our singing caused in the store. So, I not only embarrassed myself, but got the object of my affections fired and outed him in the process. Needless to say, he wasn't particularly fond of me after that."

"Ouch," says Kurt. "Fired and outed is pretty bad. I didn't even out Dave when he was bullying me and threatening my life."

"Why not?" Blaine asks, the laughter dying on his lips.

"I don't know," Kurt says, looking into the distance. "I guess I just believe really strongly that a person should get to decide, themselves, when and how to come out. It's such a personal decision, you know. They shouldn't have that kind of pressure." Kurt put his cup of tea down on the table and leaned back, meeting Blaine's eyes again. "Honestly, the thought didn't even cross my mind."

"You're a far better person than I am," Blaine says furtively, his eyes darting automatically toward the hallway leading to the bedroom and the walk-in closet.

"I don't know if you'd still say that if you knew what I was thinking sometimes," Kurt says quietly, eyes on his hands. Slowly he looked up, meeting Blaine's gaze. "I'm sorry I wasn't your spontaneous fantasy today. I wanted to be. It's just, sometimes I think, if I let myself go like that..." he trails off, looking down again.

Blaine grabs Kurt's hands and squeezes until Kurt looks up at him again. "Don't be sorry," he says. "I love everything we do together." Blaine wants to add more, to find that perfect combination of words that will melt all of his insecurities, but all he can think about is watching Kurt through the mirror.And I can't ever tell him about that.Instead he smiles reassuringly and keeps his thoughts to himself.

"Yeah, me too," Kurt says, getting to his feet and stretching a bit. "Well, I'm going to get another cup. Do you want anything while I'm up?"

"No, I'm good," Blaine says, watching Kurt's ass as he strides purposefully toward the kitchen. When Kurt turns the corner, Blaine sighs and buries his head in his hands.

May 30, 2023

It's only eight p.m. on Thursday and already Blaine is yawning. He didn't get much sleep last night. He usually doesn't on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays, Kurt does an extended yoga session at home and Blaine stays in his own apartment brooding in front of the closet wall. A few times, he even pressed his ear to the wall, straining to hear anything that would give him a clue about what Kurt was doing. About what kind of incredible sex shows might be going on just four inches from Blaine's face without his knowledge.

But when Kurt catches him yawning and asks if he's okay, Blaine smiles wide and blames the tiredness on a long day at work. "I feel so much better now that I'm with you," he says. He makes an effort to be more animated, chattering with Kurt happily and drinking a few extra cups of strong Chinese tea.

"I can't believe we get Thai all the time and have never had Chinese together before," Blaine says, shaking his head a bit in disbelief as he scrapes the last bits of shrimp with black bean sauce from the plate with his fork.

"And it's not likely we'll be getting it again," says Kurt ruefully. "Not unless another new place opens up in the neighborhood. I was willing to give these guys a try, but I am not impressed. I'm going to make some more tea to wash this down."

"Wait, you haven't had your fortune cookie, yet." Blaine hands one of the plastic-wrapped cookies to Kurt, who shrinks back with a look of distain. "Oh, come on. It's the best part of getting Chinese!"

"No way," says Kurt, pushing the cookie further from him on the table. "Those things can hardly be called a culinary delight. Besides, they're usually stale."

"Well at least open it up and see what the fortune is, spoil sport," Blaine teases.

Kurt reaches for the cookie and snaps it apart, carefully opening the plastic to remove the slip of paper.

Blaine struggles to swallow down the cookie he is chewing through his closed-mouth chuckles that soon turn into raucous guffaws.

"What is it? What does it say?" Kurt asks, his slip of paper still unread in his hand.

"Oh God," Blaine chokes out between chuckles. "This is the most perfect fortune for adding 'in bed'!"

"Adding in bed?" Kurt asks, puzzled. He gets the wrong emphasis on the words, as if he thinks Blaine is talking about scribbling math problems in a note pad while sitting propped against a pillow resting on the headboard.

Blaine's laughing slows and he gasps for breath. "You've never done that?" he asks incredulously.

"Add in bed?" Kurt repeats questioningly.

"It's the funniest way to read a fortune cookie," Blaine explains. "You read whatever it says and then add the words 'in bed' to the end. It can really make some pretty ordinary old fortunes hilarious. You have to try it."

"Well, you seemed amused by yours. What does it say?" Kurt asks bemusedly.

"It says..." Blaine dissolves into laughter, doubling over with it for a moment. Regaining control, he tries again. "Okay, okay. Ahem. 'Behind every good man there are many other good men' – in bed!" He shakes with laughter again, eyes dancing with mirth as he grins triumphantly at Kurt. "Isn't that awesome?"

Kurt can't help but chuckle a bit himself. "That is quite the image, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it makes you wonder if the man at the register has the cookies already separated out and said 'oh yes, these two are gay. They'll like this one.' What do you think?" Blaine jokes.

"I don't know," Kurt says pensively. "I think it works equally well either way. If you're straight, it's just a funny joke. Or if you're straight and don't have a sense of humor, it's just a wise saying. If you're gay, it can be a joke, too. Or a fantasy."

Blaine's last chuckles die in his throat and he stares at Kurt with intense interest. "Is it one of yours?" he asks seriously.

"Is what one of what?" Kurt throws back absently.

"Is being with more than one man one of your fantasies?" Blaine's voice is low and dark.

Kurt blushes and chuckles nervously. "No, not particularly." After a moment his eyes widen and he shoots back, "Why? Is it one of yours?"

"No. I don't think I'd like that either," Blaine answers honestly. In an attempt to turn the conversation back toward teasing, he adds with a sultry pout, "I don't like to share."

The pout is lost on Kurt, whose gaze is focused on the folded slip of paper in his hands. "I'm glad to hear it." The next words are said lightly, but they send a chill down Blaine's spine. "You were giving me traumatic flashbacks to having Sebastian live next door. He used to love making me uncomfortable by inviting me join in whenever I saw him with 'company' in the hallway."

"Wow, he's – uh – quite a character," Blaine says haltingly. He squirms in the awkward silence and struggles to bring back the previous mood with forced joviality. "What's your fortune? Maybe this one will be one of our fantasies, heh, heh."

Kurt unfurls the paper and scans the words, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, cheeks burning bright red.

"What is it?" Blaine demands, his curiosity coursing through him like a frantic animal.

Kurt slides the paper across the table toward Blaine mutely, averting his eyes.

Blaine reads it aloud and nearly has to pinch himself to keep his gasp at bay. "You excel at putting on a show. Prepare for all eyes to be on you."In bed."Oh my God," the words fly from Blaine's mouth almost of their own accord. "This one is actually true!"

Blaine's eyes fly open wide and he clamps a hand over his mouth.I didn't say that out loud. Please God. I just imagined it.He holds his breath, slowly bringing his hand away from his mouth and down to his lap, studying Kurt for a reaction.

Kurt's expression is unreadable, but all color has drained from his face. Any remaining doubts Blaine has are shattered when Kurt asks in a hollow voice, "How do you know that?"

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. This is my worst nightmare. This is worse than forgetting all the words to the songs when I'm on stage."Stage!" Blaine blurts out, wanting to kick himself for always shouting the first thing that comes into his head. Kurt remains silent, fixing him with a stony stare. Hurriedly, Blaine continues. "I mean, your play. That will soon be on a stage, in front of an audience, right? I mean, you did sign up for that musical writing class at the center, didn't you?"

Kurt blinks rapidly and looks down, the blush starting to rise on his cheeks again. "Oh, yes. Yes I did sign up." The next words are a murmur, barely audible. "I thought you meant something else."

In a rare moment of self-preservation, Blaine pretends he doesn't hear Kurt's last words. "Well, there you go," he says triumphantly. Realizing he probably needs to explain the wide eyes and hand clamped over his mouth, he adds, "But I'm sorry to bring it up. I know it took a lot of courage for you to even consider sharing that play with me, let alone with anyone else. So, I felt like an idiot as soon as those words came out of my mouth. So, you know – mmpf." Blaine clasps his hand over his mouth again in demonstration, muffling his last word and throwing his eyes wide in an exaggerated, comical version of his earlier moment.

Kurt puffs out a small chuckle and his shoulders relax just a bit and he settles back into the chair. "It's okay. I'm glad you encouraged me to take that playwriting class at the community center. But don't go giving the fortune cookie gods too much credit. Just because I sign up for a class doesn't mean I'll be 'putting on a show'. There are at least a dozen other people signed up, and they're only going to pick one play to perform." Kurt says shyly.

"Oh, come on. Of course they're going to pick yours," Blaine insists. "It's fantastic already, and when you take the class it's only going to get better."

"You are too kind," says Kurt, now fully recovered. "But even if the play is performed, I don't think any eyes will be on me."

"Aren't you going to play the lead?"

"No, it's way too personal to me for that. I only really agreed to even think about sharing that play with an audience because you reminded me that no one has to know it's autobiographical. So I think it would be better to let someone else play the part. Also, that lets me enjoy it from the audience – once – instead of having to relive it again and again with each performance."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. When you put it that way..."

"Yeah. I mean, I found writing it to be very therapeutic and Dr. Taylor agrees that it can really help me to work through my – issues. But even she agrees that I shouldn't push it."

"That makes sense," Blaine agrees.

"Speaking of plays," Kurt says, "I'm supposed to be off-book for Peter Pan by next week's rehearsal. Would you help me run lines?"

"Absolutely," Blaine says, stacking their plates and turning to carry them into the kitchen.

"But before that," Kurt says, "Do you think you can give me another one of those massages. You know, like you did a few months ago. I have another inexplicable pain in my back – the exact same spot."

Blaine fumbles the dishes, silverware clattering to the floor. He whips around, staring at Kurt.

"You okay?" Kurt asks innocently. "Need some help?"

"No," Blaine says, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Um – just let me clear these dishes..."

"You can just leave them," Kurt says, taking the plates from Blaine's hands and putting them on the counter while Blaine crouches down to gather up the silverware. "I'll clean them up tomorrow. After all, I can't very well ask you to do my dishes on top of all the other favors."

"Okay," Blaine says numbly, following Kurt into his living room toward the couch. In front of the mirror. Where Kurt had most likely performed self-fellatio again last night.

Two Years Later – June 17, 2025

"Thanks, Mike. Yeah, we're excited, too," Blaine says into his phone. He is sitting on the couch in the living room, his bare feet propped up on the coffee table. "I know, it's crazy. Neither one of us has ever owned anything in our lives and now we own a whole building." He listens for a minute, picking a piece of lint off his pants. "Yeah, we can walk you guys through the process if you ever decide to take the plunge. It's really a great investment...yeah, I know, but we don't have to do any maintenance ourselves. We have a company to do that." He nods, listening for a moment, then laughs. "Well, when you and Tina get engaged, your parents might be generous, too."

A moment later, he says, "Hold on, let me check with him." Holding a hand over the phone he shouts, "Kurt? Mike wants to know if we're both free Sunday night for dinner. Says he and Tina found an amazing French bistro in their neighborhood and thought you would love it."

"Sunday's good," Kurt calls from the kitchen.

"Mike?" Blaine traps the phone awkwardly between his shoulder and his ear. "Yeah, we can do that. Six o'clock?" He fishes a scrap of paper out of his back pocket. "No, you don't have to text it. If you have the address in front of you just give it to me now. I'll write it down. I just need to find a pen." Automatically, Blaine reaches for the drawer in the side table and pulls it open. He reaches in and his hands close on a smooth, thick object.Oh crap! I keep forgetting that's in here.He drops the dildo into the drawer with a loud clunk and spins around at the sound of Kurt's footsteps, nearly dropping the phone in the process.

"You needed a pen..." Kurt's voice trails off as he takes in Blaine's heated look, the open drawer, and the gleaming dildo on display. "Oh," he says softly, as the pen in his outstretched hand drops to the floor. Kurt holds his hand out, palm up, and Blaine hands the dildo to him.

"Still looking, give me a minute," Blaine says, eyes trained on Kurt and making no move for the pen still rolling on the floor.

Kurt gives Blaine a searing look and licks a broad stripe up the dildo before closing his eyes in mock ecstasy and sucking lightly on the tip.

"Actually, can you text it to me after all? I don't have a pen," Blaine says, frozen in place. "I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow." He ends the call and drops the phone. It hits the sofa with a soft thud.

"Hold this for me," Kurt commands, guiding the handle of the dildo into Blaine's hand, looking up at him through his eyelashes while still sucking and licking the silver tip.

"I," Kurt says slowly, "am going to put on a show. For you."

Blaine's cock twitches with interest at these words. Kurt excels at putting on a show, after all.

Kurt moans as he sucks more of the dildo into his mouth. Blaine holds it steady for him and cups a hand on his jaw. Kurt smiles around the dildo before sucking in, hallowing out his cheeks.

"Oh God, Kurt, you're going to kill me." Still holding the dildo steady with one hand, he uses the other to palm his straining dick through his pants, rocking against it with his hips and groaning at the sensation.

"Don't die yet," Kurt says wickedly, pulling off of the dildo for a moment. "I'm going to need you later. This show is – shall I say – very hands on."

Kurt drags his tongue up and down the dildo, his breath hot on Blaine's hand. Never breaking eye contact, he pulls back and slowly unbuttons first his shirt and then his pants, sliding each to the floor before kicking them aside. Kurt isn't wearing any underwear.Has he been planning this all morning?Kurt's cock bobs up and down, the tip already glistening. Blaine's eyes widen and he practically groans at the sight.

"I'm going to show you," Kurt says, drawing each word out into its own slow seduction, "exactly what I want you to do to me."

Kurt pulls a bottle of lube from the drawer and coats his fingers. He bends over, slow and graceful, legs impossibly wide, bracing himself against a chair with one hand while the other circles his hole. He pushes his ass out toward the mirror, spreads his legs even more, and turns his head to watch as his finger breaches his entrance and slides smoothly inside. Kurt meets Blaine's eyes in the mirror and shudders with pleasure, pulling his finger all the way out and circling the rim before plunging back in with two fingers. Kurt cries out, practically keening as his fingers slide in and out, in and out.

Kurt stalks toward Blaine and leans in for a dirty, wet kiss. Blaine moves his hands hungrily over Kurt's back, pausing to knead at handfuls of flesh, desperate to touch him everywhere as they taste each other. Kurt kisses a wet trail from Blaine's jaw to his ear, whispering, "I'll take that," as he pulls the dildo from Blaine's hand.

Kurt repositions the chair in front of the mirror and Blaine hurriedly whips off his t-shirt and flings it toward the pile of Kurt's clothes on the floor. He just manages to unzip his pants and fish out his aching cock before Kurt bends over the chair again and rubs the dildo up and down his crack, arching his back and spreading his legs wide once more.

Blaine scrambles up off the sofa and sheds his remaining clothes, his eyes fixed on Kurt. He makes quick work of tearing open a condom and sliding it on, then reaches down for the still open lube and squeezes some onto his hand, quickly coating his cock.

Kurt watches him through the mirror for a moment, before training his eyes on the dildo as he pushes it steadily past the rim and into his ass, moaning and writhing. Blaine walks behind him to get a better view, but only manages to watch for a moment before he's reaching for Kurt, stroking his ass and pulling his cheeks apart. Watching Kurt is incredibly sensual, buttouchinghim is so much better, he thinks as he massages Kurt's ass, the rim stretching gloriously around the dildo as it plunges steadily in and out.

Kurt watches Blaine through the mirror and whimpers, looking first at his eyes and then down to glistening cock as he continues to slide the dildo in and out, his back arched and his legs spread wide, muscles clenching and straining. Blaine steps forward and runs a hand down Kurt's back, feeling the muscles ripple underneath him as Kurt stills his hand and begins thrusting back onto the dildo with his whole body, breathy moans escaping from his parted lips.

Blaine's lube-slick hand closes over Kurt's cock and he squeezes lightly, holding it still as Kurt rocks through his fist, forward and back. "Blaine, oh God," Kurt moans desperately. "That feels so good. I need – oh God. I need you," he pants, rocking back and forth faster with a whine.

"God, Kurt," Blaine breathes out reverently. "You are so gorgeous, so incredibly hot. I need you, too." Blaine's hand wraps lightly around Kurt's wrist and pulls back, easing the dildo out of him. Kurt opens his hand and the dildo clatters to the floor. With his hands on Kurt's hips, Blaine slides up behind him and sits on the chair. He grips the base of his cock in one hand and pulls Kurt backwards with the other. "Ride me, baby," he begs, guttural and low.

Kurt straddles Blaine and slowly lowers himself, his rim stretching around Blaine's cock. Blaine throws his head back and groans in delight as he is completely encompassed by the hot, slick squeeze of Kurt's hole. He traces the straining muscles of Kurt's thighs with his fingers as Kurt raises himself until only the tip of Blaine's cock is still in him, then lowers himself, slowly, all the way down until his cheeks rest on Blaine's hips. Kurt works himself up and down, tweaking his nipples with his fingers, grinding his hips and shouting out his pleasure. He is watching them in the mirror, watching as Blaine's cock disappears by inches into his hole as he sinks down, then reappears as he pushes up again, leaning his back against Blaine's chest and moaning.

"Kurt, baby, I'm so close," Blaine pants, wrapping a spit-slicked hand around Kurt's shaft and pumping rapidly. "You got me so hot and bothered, watching you. I don't think I can last much longer."

"That feels so good," Kurt moans, thrusting wildly into the tight channel of Blaine's fist and then grinding back down onto his cock. "Don't stop."

"Come with me," Blaine urges in a low, commanding voice. He can feel himself tipping over the edge, pleasure thrumming throughout his body and keeping him on edge. Chasing his release, his hand flies up and down Kurt's cock and he pushes and pulls Kurt's hip with his other hand, urging him to go faster. Blaine's eyes roll back in his head and he practically screams as he grips Kurt's hip hard and squeezes his dick, stilling as he cock twitches and pumps into the condom.

"Uggghhhnn," Kurt groans, shuddering as his dick pulses in Blaine's hand. Blaine slows his strokes, slicking Kurt's come over his dick gently, as Kurt convulses in his lap, his ass squeezing Blaine's spent cock as he continues to grind against Blaine weakly.

After a few moments, Kurt stands up on shaky legs. "Come here," he says, tugging at Blaine's biceps. He leads Blaine back to the sofa and pushes him down onto it, handing him an undershirt to wipe himself off. Blaine scoots back and onto his side just as Kurt lies down in front of him, taking the shirt back and wiping down his cock and stomach. Blaine brings an arm down in front of Kurt and pulls him until his back is flush with Blaine's front, then lazily strokes Kurt's hip.

They lie there in silence for a few moments, their eyes meeting in the mirror in front of them. Blaine kisses the back of Kurt's head and says, "That was fantastic. You make me so incredibly happy, Kurt." Blaine blinks, feeling just a hint of wetness squeeze out of the corner of his eyes. "You have no idea how much I love you."

"I love you, too," says Kurt. Then, after a pause he add, "And I love mirror sex."

"Me too," Blaine murmurs into Kurt's hair. "Especially when you put on a show for me."

"Well," Kurt admits, "that wasn't just for you."

Blaine laughs. "I know nothing turns you on more than looking at yourself, Kurt," he teases. "I was just graciously allowing you to pretend you do it for me."

Kurt gasps and punches at Blaine's leg awkwardly. They lie there for a moment, Blaine tracing circles on Kurt's hip. Kurt stretches his legs a little, pointing his toes and says, "Seriously, though, we've had some really good times in front of this mirror." He sighs dramatically. "I'm going to miss it."

Blaine's hand pauses in its trajectory on Kurt's hip. "What?" he asks slowly.

Kurt sits up and looks at him. "Oh, come on. I thought you were paying attention when I showed you my sketches earlier."

Blaine blinks at him slowly. Ever since they first started talking about buying the building, Kurt has been talking about the best way to combine their two apartments into one. They had mostly been living in Kurt's apartment and using Blaine's for storage or when one of them needed to do something noisy at the same time the other needed to concentrate. Kurt has shown Blaine countless sketches, endless variations on which walls to knock out and which rooms to convert to make their ideal apartment, combining the best features of both – the view out Kurt's bedroom window, Blaine's walk-in closet, the giant mirror. "I'm sorry, Kurt," he says. "At a certain point they all start to blend together. Besides, I thought we agreed to keep the mirror right there."

"I know I've changed my mind a lot," Kurt says defensively. "But that's just the way my creative process works. I have to play around with all the possibilities." In a more contrite tone, he adds, "I'm sorry I didn't make it clear, though. The ones I showed you tonight – those are the final designs. With where we want to put the extended bathroom and where the water pipes are, I just realized that the only way we can get everything we want is to tear down that wall," he gestures toward the mirror. "We can put in a similar mirror in the new den. It'll cost a little money to replace it, but in the scheme of things, that's just a drop in the bucket on a remodeling job of this size."

Kurt paces in his excitement, but when he finally stops and looks at Blaine, he stops. "Why do you look so glum?" he asks curiously. "What difference does it make to you if we move the mirror to a different wall?"

Blaine moves his mouth a few times soundlessly before he is able to form a sentence through the rising panic in his gut. "I don't know," he finally manages. "I just like it the way it is."

"Look, I've already gone over every possible configuration – as you well know," Kurt says, frustrated. "I don't want to have to move the mirror, either. I mean, look, its inset in the wall. It's going to be hard to replicate that streamlined look. But I just can't find any other way. Besides," he says suspiciously, "you weren't so interested in any of this before. What's going on? Do you have some secret documents stored inside that wall that you don't want me to find?"

It's as though time has slowed down and Blaine feels like he is hearing Kurt's words from far away – muffled as if through thick layers of wood and glass. Panic licks sharp and cold up his spine and sweat is slick and cold on his back. He feels more exposed than naked, as if his very bones and veins were on display. He is staring at Kurt's face, watching his mouth move as he speaks, hearing the words, but not comprehending them.

Seeing Blaine's look of horror, Kurt practically yelps, "Oh my God, you do? I was just teasing you – "

"Kurt," Blaine cuts in with a low, strangled voice, barely above a whisper. "I need to tell you something."