Cooper watched as his little brother enthusiastically swam around with his kids with a sort of bemused incredulity. He was still not exactly sure how hed ended up at this point.  Yesterday he was plagued by nightmares and was considering paying someone to commit theft on his behalf.   Two months ago he didnt even know if Blaine was alive. And now...here he was, and it was everything hed hoped it could be at his most optimistic.  Well, nearly anyway, he thought as he watched Kurt Hummel wander by.  Because Cooper was almost positive that he wouldnt be taking Blaine back to live with him. Otherwise...yeah, it was perfect.
 
Jessi and Blaine looked to be getting along really well together.  She had even offered him private kick boxing lessons.  Blaine seemed excited but said he needed to get the okay from his trainer first. Cooper had just about had a coronary, hastily choking back his words when he realized his brother meant the personal trainer who was instructing him in martial arts, not the slave kind.

The afternoon successfully wore the kids out.  Theyd been told all their lives about their lost uncle and had been estactic to finally meet him.  Currently, they were napping together on the shaded hammock while the adults relaxed, grazing lightly on dessert and alcohol.

Cooper was considering getting back in the pool when a tall body slid gracefully into the lounge seat next to him. Kurt. The expectant look on the designers face made it clear hed noticed that Cooper had been trying to get him alone to talk.

"Hows Blaine doing? Really?"  Cooper asked without preamble.

Kurt shrugged. "Hes good. I mean, he has his moments, but we get through it."

"Care to clarify?"  Cooper knew he had an edge to his tone, and didnt care.

Coopers attitude didnt seem to faze Kurt.  "Well, hes prone to having panic attacks.  And he still has nightmares, sometimes. They can get pretty bad.  A few months ago we had a pretty intense argument and that night he dreamt that he heard me talking to someone about selling him.  He had a hard time discerning the dream from reality for a few days there. Its upsetting as hell, but I get it." 

Cooper actually believed that. With Kurts history, he had to have his own share of demons chasing him through his subconscious.

"How do you guys deal with it?" 

"The rough patches?  Obviously its difficult for both of us.  Blaine gets really submissive after those kinds of things.  And I get upset because I hate that he acts that way, because it really isnt fair what happened to him.  Then he freaks out because he thinks Im mad at him and he gets even more submissive.  And then it loops for a while until we manage to reconnect.  It s the slave conditioning.  They burned those behaviors so deeply into his psyche that its his default method for handling stress or fear. Umm...thats kinda why...when you caught us having sex in my office the other day."  Kurt blushed faintly though he continued readily enough.  "We arent like that often, but we hadnt really seen a lot of each other lately, and that kind of thing sometimes soothes him and makes him feel secure. If that makes any sense." 

"And youre cool with treating someone you claim to love like that?" Cooper challenged.

Kurt met him glare for glare.  "Our relationship is complicated.  Blaine has a lot of shit to overcome, often on a daily basis.  If a little rough sex, if you can even call it that, makes him feel safe then Im certainly not going to hold back because of a little squeamishness.  Its hot, we both like it, and feel close afterwards.  So Id appreciate it if youd stop judging our entire relationship over a half-assed glimpse into our private life." Kurts words were level and even; his icy expression said back the fuck off.

Cooper dropped eye contact first, a little intimidated by the intense gaze.  It didnt help that Kurt was absolutely right.  Instead, Cooper looked over to where his brother was sitting, dangling his legs over the poolside while he and Jessi were casually talking.

"Thats why hes still wearing his collar, by the way," Kurt commented, instantly back to his normal easygoing self.  "Its kind of...a safety net, I guess? It grounds him, keeps him in the present and reminds him that he belongs to someone who loves him and wants him to be safe."

"Is that why? I wondered if he was required to wear it all the time, or maybe..." Cooper hesitated.

"Its his. He can wear it or not as he likes.  But Blaine isnt wearing it to punish you, Cooper.  His subconscious kicks in and he just...forgets to take it off when hes feeling vulnerable.  Blaine can be as petty as the next guy, and God knows Im guilty of that myself, but thats not the reason. He doesnt blame you for what your parents did."

"But I didnt find him. I didnt even realize he was gone until it was too late.  How can he not hate me for that?"  Cooper whispered the words, his voice thick with guilt.

"Yes," Kurt agreed.  "How dare you believe your parents when they tell you hes on a school field trip in Ireland with spotty cellular connections.  The first thing that should have crossed your mind was that they were totally lying to you and had actually sold your brother into slavery to pay off their tax debt through some obsolete law.  And Im pretty sure thats Blaine right there, not ten feet away. So that whole I didnt find him issue has a few inherent flaws, dont you think?"

Cooper grinned faintly. "Okay, okay.  Youre right."

Kurt smiled back.  "I know I am.  Try not to worry too much.   Blaine an I have years of experience dealing with each others psychoses. I talk him down when hes panicking because his shirt suddenly feels like strange hands are clutching at him and he holds me at night when I wake up screaming because I think David Karofskys coming to kill me. And that guy and I have been friends for years. It doesnt change where my brain goes at night."

Since Kurt was apparently still okay discussing the relationship, and Scary Kurt was still safely tucked away, Cooper decided to bring up something else that had been bothering him.  "So, Blaines good for you, as in, emotionally? I really get why he loves you.   I"m just trying to figure what youre getting out of this...besides the obvious." 

Kurt grinned, not remotely insulted.  "Im comitted to this relationship for the long run, and I assure you, its not just because hes got a great ass."  Kurt sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about how best to explain.

"Blaine plans surprises for me for no reason at all.  He plays the piano when I feel grouchy or depressed, and sings me to sleep when I cant shut my brain down.  He annoys me until I eat when Im stressing out before a show, forgives me when I get self-absorbed and bitchy, and he puts up with all of my crazy.  He goes all the way to Ohio with me every year so I can put flowers on my mothers grave on her birthday.  I can say with utter certainty that Blaine is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I have no intention of letting that go just because we face some some unusual challenges.  I cant imagine being without him." 

Cooper nodded.  "Thats good.  Thats very good."

Kurt giggled.  "But for the record, he really does have a fantastic ass."  He rose and sauntered over to Jessi and Blaine, holding out a large tube and saying something.  Cooper watched as Kurt walked away, swaying his hips a little more then usual.  A second later Blaine took off after him, guiding Kurt to a lounge chair and climbed in behind him, reaching out an open palm towards the container.

The two sat close and talked quietly as Blaine slathered sunscreen on his boyfriends pale skin. They were a little too close and a little too handsy then was really decent in polite company.  Blaine whispered something in Kurts ear that had him laughing.  Try as he might, Cooper couldnt deny that they really were disgustingly cute together.

Cooper grabbed another sunscreen bottle and headed over to sit by his wife. Blaine wasnt the only gentleman at this pool party.
**************************


Night had fallen on the impromptu gathering. After round three of pool hijinks, Blaines newly discovered niece and nephew were down for the count.  Blaine couldnt help but feel some relief for that.  As much as he adored the charming twins, they were truly exhausting.  He stared at the pool absently, watching as the underwater lighting danced along the rippling water, bathing it in in muted, multi-colored beams.

The two couples had been talking easily, wine in hand for a while.  Blaines mind buzzed, and it had nothing to do with alcohol.  He made the right gestures and responded appropriately, but he found he was having trouble focusing.  He couldnt quite figure out how to adjust to this new reality.

Cooper was here, drinking wine with them, and saying things that Blaine had long since given up on dreaming about.  And that hateful, jaded little voice in his head just would not shut up.  It whispered that none of it was true.  His brother hadnt really cared about what had happened to him. Cooper was becoming a name in Hollywood.  It was natural that hed seek out a designer like Kurt and Cooper just happened to be there when Blaine had needed to ask Kurt a question for Wes.  Coincidences happened.  Blaine intellectually knew it wasnt true, but he still couldnt calm his whirling thoughts.

Kurt moved from his chair to the bench Blaine was sitting on. He pressed Blaine gently on the shoulders until he was sitting on the ground between Kurts legs.  Nimble fingers made strong from years of threadwork began firmly massaging his shoulders.  Relaxing under the familiar touch, Blaine leaned his head back on Kurts knees, raising his eyes to meet his lovers warm gaze.

He always saw it all with Kurt.  The man was so expressive.  Kurt never held anything back from him; good, bad, or outright crazy.   For Blaine, the professional mask Kurt showed the world dissolved and everything was right there at the surface, concealing nothing.   It was one of the many reasons Blaine loved him.

Right now, Blaine saw concern, reassurance, and love.  Kurt had noticed that he wasnt as calm as he seemed.  Knowing that his boyfriend was so attuned to Blaines emotional state helped give him the grounding his wandering mind needed.

Blaine took Kurts wine glass from where hed set it down and took a casual sip. He tuned back in to the conversation when he saw Jessi rising.  "Well, as much fun as its been, and it really has, Im going to take the kids back to the house for the night," she told them, stretching.

"You all are all welcome to stay here," Kurt protested.  His hands squeezed briefly on Blaines shoulders, encouraging his opinion.

"You really should," Blaine agreed.  He was a little surprised to find that he meant it.  "God knows theres room for everyone, and its late."

Jessi smiled warmly, and Blaine could tell she meant it. She wasnt one to hide...well anything, really.  She reminded him of Kitten in that respect.

"Thank you for the invite, and believe me Ill take you up on it another time.  But its been a heck of a day and I should get these hooligans back so they wake up in familiar territory."  She grinned over at her husband.  "Who knows? Now that weve finally found you Blaine, maybe youll babysit so we can actually go on a honeymoon."

"You didnt have a honeymoon?"  Blaine asked.  "Why not?"  If he ever was in the weird world where he got to marry Kurt, hed ensure that they went somewhere far away and exotic for their trip where theyd probably never set foot beyond their room.

Seeing the look on Coopers face, Jessi shrugged.  "It wasnt right for us at the time," she answered evasively.  With a warm hug for both Kurt and Blaine, and a healthy kiss for Cooper, she began gathering her sleepy kids and began herding them to the car.  Kurt escorted them out, ensuring that she had all their contact information.

"So?"  Blaine asked softly. "Why did you, of all people, skip a honeymoon with that beautiful, amazing woman?"

Cooper sighed.  "They...I was finally told what happened to you on the morning of our wedding.  The whole time Id accepted the excuses about trips and missed phone calls to explain your absence." 

"And you bought that?" Blaine asked skeptically.  Cooper, or at least past him, could be Coopercentric to a fault, but he wasnt stupid.

"Not really.  I can be fairly oblivious, but Im not a complete idiot; I knew they were hiding something."  Cooper stared down at his wine glass.

"I thought...bad things. Like you were in a coma, or even had died and they just didnt want to tell me so close to the wedding.  And honestly, I didnt want to hear that.  So I accepted the lies.  Right up until our wedding day.  I couldnt maintain the delusion any more when I heard you wouldnt be able to even phone me, and demanded answers.  Thats when they told me everything.  And Dad was asking me where exactly I thought the money for the wedding was coming from, and the new apartment big enough for Jessi and two kids, like that should make everything better."

Cooper paused, taking a deep drink from his glass, unable to lift his gaze from the pale liquid.  "That night Jessi told me shed cancelled our trip and gotten whatever money she could get refunded.  She said we should use it on private investigators to look for you."

Blaine sat still a moment, stunned. Finally, he responded with a caustic  "Im sure that went over well with them."

"I have no idea how it went," Cooper told him evenly. "I havent had contact with either of them since then." 

Guilt plagued Blaines consciousness. Both for thinking the worst of his brother and for ruining so much of his life.  "It isnt you fault, Coop.  None of it.  You had no way of knowing..."

"That the reason they were being so ineplicably generous was because they didnt need to worry about dividing the inheritence anymore?"  Cooper interrupted bitterly.

"Yes," Blaine replied firmly.  "None of what happened to me was your fault.  I believe that.  And I wish you would, too."  

Cooper stared at him a minute, before pulling him in for a tight hug.  Blaine hugged back, just as hard.  "Thank you,"  Cooper whispered simply. 

"Speaking of what happened to you, I know, by the way."  Cooper told him.  "About the hotel."

Blaine nodded, "I figured. You had to find me somehow, and the paper trail would naturally lead you there."

"How can you even...I mean.  Obviously you and Kurt are sexually active, but how can you even handle that?  I admit I already talked with him abiut it.  It doesnt seem like he pressures you."

"He doesnt and never has.  If anything, its the opposite.  Getting together was my idea and it wasnt easy talking Kurt into trying.  As to how we handle sex..." Blaine sighed.  "With patience, love, honesty, and a lot of false starts.  And communication, though we both suck at that." 

Cooper laughed. "Well, thats another thing we have in common, besides stunning good looks. It drives Jessi batty trying to get me to talk about relationship stuff."  Blaine reached his glass out, tapping it gently against Coopers in honor of awkward relationship talks.

The soft sound of footsteps signaled Kurts return.  "Well, Im going to bed.  Cooper, by all means, stay the night.  Finn will be coming by in the morning for breakfast if you want to meet the other Hummel.  Kitten is still out of town, so you dodged that bullet."

Cooper thought a moment, and decided hed like to stay.  He glanced over at Blaine who looked hopefully at him.  Yep, definitely staying.  "Sure, thanks."

Blaine reached a hand out to Kurt for an assist to his feet.  "You can stay in a guest room," he offered to Cooper, "but Ill need to change the sheets. Or you can just stay in my room; those should be fresh." 

"Your room sounds fine."  Cooper wanted more alone time with his brother, adding why he needed his own room to his mental list of questions. "Show me the way?"

Blaine escorted him to a large room, decorated in a myriad of colors that unlike the rest of the house, almost-but-not-quite matched.  The interior design Cooper had seen during his tour had been immaculate.  In addition, there was a giant, framed poster of Katy Perry on one wall that didnt go with anything.  No fewer then three guitars sat on stands against the wall.  "Decorate yourself?" he asked with a grin.

Blaine smiled self-consciously.  "Sue me, I didnt inherit the gay gene for perfect color-coordination." 

Cooper laughed.  "Kidding, Squirt. Its very you.  Do you play much?" he asked, gesturing at the guitars.  Blaine smiled at the instruments before plopping down on the mattress next to him and launching into a running commentary on each guitar, what exactly made it different from the others, and how hed come about owning it.  Cooper sat back, listening to his brother enthusiastically ramble on, truly happy for the first time in seven years.