Blaine Anderson was quiet by nature, he wasn't shy and he wasn't outspoken despite the fact he often spoke his mind. In times of trouble Blaine wasn't fond of talking but Kurt, Kurt was under his skin from the very first moment, he just knew how to draw it all out of him. So they sat, hands entwined over the kitchen counter and talked and talked and talked until late morning bled into late afternoon.

"W-what exactly did you dream about?" Kurt broached the subject hesitantly, seeing as Blaine was always so reluctant to divulge any information about the dreaded nightmares. But Blaine had gotten better at opening up, especially to Kurt. "It was fine at first, just me and you foolin' around in the locker room." Blaine winked at Kurt, but all he received was a tight lipped smile and a hard squeeze of his hand. "But t-then," he stuttered "but then he turned up and I was going to handle it but you wouldn't let me and h-he found you and he-he"

Kurt shushed him quietly before he could get any more worked up. Blaine couldn't put into words what he'd seen behind closed eyes. Describing it and telling Kurt just seemed to make it all the more real. It was already so vividly ingrained into his mind that he could practically hear, see and smell it. Not to mention what it would do to Kurt, if he were to know every gruesome detail of what Jake did to him, what Blaine had to watch Jake do to him. It left him feeling physically sick and unsettlingly protective and possessive. No way did Blaine want to let Kurt out of his sight that day, but it would have to wait because he had a plan.

"Blaine, it's okay, y-you don't have to tell me wh- what he did okay?"

"I really can't and I can't go through it again. I was thinking maybe I should see Trace about them, t-the nightmares I mean, and maybe Dr Lin too?"

"That sounds like a great idea honey!" And just like that Kurt was smiling brightly once more. A smile that told Blaine he was proud of him and Blaine couldn't have asked for anything more wonderful than a smile lighting up Kurt's eyes, there because of Blaine himself.

There was nothing, Blaine had learned, that was greater than the smile of one Kurt Hummel. The Blaine of the past would have proverbially slapped himself in the face for so saccharinely romanticising a smile but the Blaine of the present was so insanely in love that he could wax poetic about it until the earth fell from orbit and the stars all simultaneously combusted. Blaine was sickeningly crazy for Kurt Hummel, but that's okay because he was pretty cuckoo for Blaine too.

Apparently staring mindlessly, mouth agape and eyes adoring, at Kurt for too long made him quite uncomfortable so Blaine forced himself to stop immediately. "What are you doing tonight?" Blaine blurted out like a school boy asking out his crush. "I don't know I thought I'd just hang here with you. I was thinking we could try that body paint again..." Kurt trailed off, blushing to the tips of his ears. No matter how much sex they had Kurt was never brash about it but he was getting bolder and god did it almost kill Blaine every time.

"Will you go out with me? Tonight. Please."

"Did you just - ask me out?"

"No - I mean - yes? I don't know." Blaine muttered nervously.

"Because we kinda already did the first date thing."

"That was NOT a date!"

Blaine sighed dejectedly. They'd been talking for a while about maybe going out. Blaine never left the apartment apart from his trip to the hospital and his appointments at the clinic and being cooped up all the time was not conducive to Blaine's programme or his sanity. He was going stir crazy, pacing the apartment, a short attention span and an even shorter temper. And the short temper was more often than not taken out on Kurt and he detested it. Kurt was almost constantly at the apartment, flitting from class, to work and then to Blaine's and as Blaine's unease grew so did the pressure on Kurt. Blaine couldn't remember a time Kurt had actually gone out and had fun since his relapse. Blaine just wanted to make sure Kurt wasn't giving up his own life just so Blaine didn't have to.

"I just want to see you have a good time for once."

"I am having a good time."

"Oh yeah? Babysitting your boyfriend, how exhilarating"

Kurt rolled his eyes, moving round the island to seat himself in Blaine's lap. In all honesty Kurt loved spending time with just Blaine, caring for him like he knew Blaine would for him. But it had been clear for a while that being shut away from the outside world had put a lot of strain on him.

"Let's go back to The Mist" Blaine suggested throwing caution to the wind.

"Are you sure? The Mist? Will you be alright there?"

"If you're trying to ask me if I'll be tempted if we go clubbing then the answer is no. Besides if you're worried we could always invite Cooper, as much as I hate having to have a chaperone..."

"It'll be safer if there's someone else to keep an eye on you." Kurt finished for him.

"I'm not a child."

"Oh I know, abs remember?"

.oO0Oo.

After an hour of whining, thirty minutes of rather convincing kisses and a quick promise of ‘go out with me and you can use the body paint to paint me like a fucking canvas' Kurt finally caved. Cooper was called (and as single father with the opportunity to go out for the night was ridiculously excited), last minute babysitting appointments were made, and Kurt spent an ungodly amount of time fixing his hair in the bathroom before Blaine had even showered.

After he'd showered, Kurt decided to distract Blaine from getting dressed and when Cooper let himself into the apartment he very narrowly missed finding the two in a very compromising position. Kurt sauntered out of the bedroom, clothes and hair still impeccable leaving Blaine sprawled out on the bed naked, panting and wrecked, desperately trying to regain the feeling in his legs so he could get up and put some clothes on.

Unable to take his time due to Cooper's incessant whinging, yelling at him to get a move on, Blaine shuffled out of the bedroom trying to look as normal as possible and unsurprisingly failing. His hair was more of a mess than it usually was and a bright flush still stained the tops of his cheeks. "Woah major sex hair B" Cooper exclaimed ruffling Blaine's curls as Kurt and Blaine stared at each other. Needless to say Cooper noticed that look. "Oh for the love of- Let's just go!" And with that he dragged his boys out of the apartment, out of the building and on to the street.

Once out in the open air Blaine lit up a cigarette and pulled Kurt to him, wrapping his arms tightly round his waist as Kurt's hands fisted in his jacket. It was so familiar and in reality it was only just over a month ago that Blaine had been so close to Kurt in the chilly night air, in the exact same place, but it felt like an age had passed since then. The memory of that night, the hot mingle of breath and the crazed beat of his heart as Blaine edged closer, still only a mystery back then, never knowing what he'd been through, what they'd go through, what they'd become to each other.

Cooper wandered off towards The Mist chattering merrily as he went as if they were right behind him but time stood still for them. As Kurt watched, looking straight into smouldering hazel eyes as he inhaled and exhaled smoothly he could tell that Blaine was thinking of a time when they were free to tease, touch, dance and love, before either of them knew it. Before everything was overshadowed by the memory of abuse, fear, violence, drugs and sex. In that moment Kurt knew that all Blaine would want was something pure, untainted by his past or his own self destructive nature. And he was hoping that something would be Kurt.

Blaine breathed out a stream of curling sliver smoke and tilted his head, his hand slipping to grip Kurt's hip. "You wanna try it baby?" He whispered a soft smirk playing across his lips as he stared into eyes like galaxies, today a plethora of emerald greens and midnight blues. Sentimentally and word for word Blaine asked, but this time it was without that roguish bravado, without the guarded eyes and rough advances. The act had vanished. Sure Blaine still had that primal lust, the cheeky grin and that sexy dangerousness with him but it was real, not exaggerated ten fold to attract but still keep everyone at an arms length.

That was what he loved the most about that moment, Blaine was still Blaine, that no matter how much Blaine thought he was or said he was, he wasn't broken, not at all, he wasn't fading away. Blaine was a cacophony of contradictions, so cryptic it made Kurt's head spin sometimes but over time and with Kurt, and only Kurt, he'd begun to unravel.

"Okay" he nodded and breathed in, letting the familiar burn of smoke trickle down his throat and into his lungs. He felt Blaine's fingertips glide across his throat and Adam's apple just like before, eyes transfixed as the smoke rose from his lips in a stuttering exhale. Kurt shivered and Blaine placed the hand with the cigarette on his back, palm spread wide, careful not to drop ash him. Blaine pushed gently, causing him to arch into him, their hips flush as Blaine kissed and mouthed at Kurt's neck. A small whimper escaped his lips as Blaine whispered a hoarse ‘I love you' against his skin.

So rarely uttered in English the phrase took on a whole knew meaning. It was a language they could both fully comprehend and never before had it seemed so concrete so unwavering, so much like forever.