Kurt let his hand dangle outside of the window, shutting his eyes as the air passed through them with furious speed.  It had been so long since he had sat in a car and didn't have to do anything but just sit back and enjoy the ride.  Despite Wes' suggestion that Blaine didn't drive enough to be good at it, Blaine was a conscientious driver and even let Kurt have control of the stereo.  

They didn't talk, just listened to the music that funnelled out of the speakers from some blend station.  Every now and then Kurt would hum along to a song he liked or Blaine would outright sing along making Kurt snicker and shake his head at the clear display of foolishness.

Blaine still hadn't told Kurt where they were headed, and Kurt was strangely alright with that.  If it had been anyone else he wouldn't have gotten into the car without a destination, but with Blaine, there was only safety.  

The building got smaller, and then fewer as they drove.  Kurt knew that Blaine kept glancing over at him.  He could feel those eyes, but didn't say anything.  He didn't need to say anything.  Blaine was checking to see that he was alright and Kurt was.

“You're slowing down… we're getting closer to wherever you're taking me…”  Kurt murmured, feeling the change in speed of Wes' car which Blaine was borrowing for the jaunt.

“I… I should tell you where we're going Kurt.”  Blaine said, voice full of nerves that made Kurt's own prickle.

“Well then tell me.”

“Connecticut… we're going to my mom's.”

Kurt opened his eyes to slits, looking at Blaine accusingly, “We're what?  Are you trying to get me kicked out of the apartment she partially owns?”

“No… actually.”  Blaine sighed.  “We can go back if you want, but I want to be honest with her and even though she's my mom and can be a little overprotective, she's a good woman and I think she'll like you… plus she has a nice home not too far from the beach with nothing much else around it.”

Kurt took in a deep breath and reached down into the bag between his feet to grab his cigarettes and lighter, hastily lighting one up and blowing the smoke out the window.  “Perfect for disposing of bodies I suppose.”

Blaine laughed, and Kurt took another drag from his cigarette, watching as the ashes that fell off the end of the cigarette got pulled out the window and blown away from the force of the air.  

“I did warn her that I was coming up with a friend.  I think, if anything, she'll be happy that I've come to visit.  I haven't been up in months now.”

“Because of me.”

“Partially I guess.”  Blaine admitted, making another turn and bringing them closer to the end.  “But also because I didn't want to talk about my boyfriend at the time which I knew she'd ask about.  I think somewhere inside me I knew that Sebastian was bad news and I didn't want to have a conversation about him with either of my parents.”

“And now you're free.”

“Right…”

Quiet for a few more minutes, Blaine making another couple turns and decelerating as the speed limits reduced the further he got into residential areas.

“Hey Kurt?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you tell the cops everything?  I mean… I'm happy you did… but it kind of shocked the hell out of Wes and I since… well… everything else that happened before.”

Kurt lit up another cigarette, letting the stub of his old one drop out the side of the window and bounce behind the car.  “Because Sebastian knew Cole and if he told Cole or Big G then they'd know, through Sebastian, where I was…. they could've come up and retaliated against you.”

“You did it to protect me?”

“Yeah.”  

“Oh… thanks.”

“Yeah.  Don't mention it.”

“Is that why you seem alright about going out now too?”

Kurt shrugged, “Maybe.  I'm more afraid of New York Streets than anything though I suppose.  The wilderness of Connecticut is hardly intimidating and I don't think those guys could follow me up here.”

“Not if they're in jail anyhow.”

Kurt let his eyes roll and smoked up as much as he could.  He got the feeling that if Blaine was brought up as prim and proper as he thought than Blaine's mother wasn't going to be okay with Kurt smoking in the house.

If she was okay with anything about him at all that was.  He didn't exactly know what Blaine was thinking bringing him to meet his mom.  Kurt had to be the least parent-friendly person on the planet - at least based on looks.  Piercings, pink hair, eye-liner when he bothered (which wasn't often these days), the same uniform of layered clothings that probably made him look like he was in some kind of overdressed gang, and his tattoo.

“Kurt… I'm sorry.”

“You're always sorry.”  Kurt let out a puff of smoke from between his lips.  He never had been able to make an O shape with the smoke as much as he tried.

“I mean about asking about your tattoo.”

“Huh…”

“I thought it might have been the initials of someone who was important to you or maybe even an homage to Calvin Klein… but… it's a brand isn't it?”

“No shit Sherlock.”

“I'm sorry about it then.  I didn't know people did that to one another.”

He knew it was psychosomatic, but Kurt reached up with his free hand to clutch his shoulder that the tattoo was on the back of as it felt like it was burning then.  He remembered being held down as the sketchy looking guy with more beard than hair on his head inked the ghastly font into him.  Then he had been held back as the same thing happened to Quinn and he had to listen to her cry out while the guy not only branded her, but groped her as well.  Really, both of them were lucky they didn't get infected.  Not like the girl that had been branded and was in the hospital a week later with a giant pussing green patch that had taken over her tattoo and was never heard from again.

“Would you ever want to get it removed?”

“Obviously.”  Kurt took another long drag, looking at the oversized homes they were driving between.  Did people actually live in those?  Shit.

“Costs a lot though….”  Blaine mused, making another turn into what looked like an open road into nothing.

“Yup… and I ain't exactly rolling in it.”

“I could -”

“No Blaine.  You do enough.  I know there's no way what you're getting for me is enough to cover what I eat, my share of rent, clothes, utilities, and whatever the hell else I cost you.  I'll deal with it at some point… for now… I keep it covered.  Bad enough I have to see it when I undress to shower.”

He heard Blaine's adam apple bob as the other man swallowed and Kurt sucked back as much smoke as he could into his throat, letting it fill him with warmth and satisfaction.  

“Calvin Klein though?  Really?  Fuck Blaine… I may dress like I don't care about designers but if I was to get a tattoo homage to one then I think I'd go with something a little more respectable like McQueen or Armani or Ford…”

“I… wow… I didn't know you knew designers.”

“I used to.”  

There was a long stretch of nothing, and then. the ocean.  It wasn't like the ocean he saw in New York, even though it was technically still the Atlantic.  This view was limitless, and aside from the vague outline of a few boats in the distance, there was nothing else hindering his view of the water and sky.  

It was gorgeous.

He sat up to look at it, taking in the view as they came up to a remote little home situated not too far away from a ramshackled looking lighthouse.  Blaine pulled into the driveway and stopped the car, turning to Kurt before he made any other moves.

“We can still turn back if you want.”

Kurt shook his head, looking past Blaine at the ocean still, “Nah… I'll take my chances.”

They grabbed their suitcases and walked up to the door, Kurt keeping a few steps back as the door opened well before Blaine reached it and a woman ran out to embrace Blaine in her arms.

“Oh my baby boy!  I am so glad to see you!”

Blaine erked and hugged her back, “Hi mom.  Need to breath.  Please.”

She released him and smiled fondly at Blaine for a moment more before catching sight of Kurt.  He could see the confusion in her eyes and then the forced display of acceptance, “You must be my Blaine's friend.”

“Kurt.” Blaine supplied with an eager smile.

“Hey.”  Kurt said, wishing he could just retreat to a room or the beach or anywhere away from the woman whose stare seemed to be boring a hole in him.

“Welcome.. welcome… sorry, when Blaine means he's bringing a friend that has always meant Wes before - not that you're not welcome of course.  I was just surprised since I thought Wes swore off hair dye after that incident in junior year and it took me a second to realize it wasn't Wes.”

Blaine and his mother laughed at what was obviously an inside joke and then Kurt was thankfully led into the house and to the guest room where he and Blaine both deposited their things before being led next to the kitchen where Kurt could see through the patio doors that there was a pool in the backyard.

“Why is there a pool when there's a beach only a minute away?” Kurt made the mistake of asking.

“The pool is heated.” Mrs. Anderberry said plainly, as if that made any sense to Kurt.  

“For winter swimming.”  Blaine added on.

“Of course.” Kurt gave his head a shake.  How foolish of him.  Honestly.

Blaine and his mother sipped lemonade at the kitchen table while Kurt listened in quietly.  They laughed and spoke easily, and Kurt decided that as far as looks went, Blaine probably took more after his dad and Rachel took after their mom.  Mrs. Anderberry was built exactly the same as Rachel, with the same dark eyes and long dark hair - though she looked less intense.  Through the conversation he was listening into, he found out that she was a teacher and that she taught music in the community they had passed through before reaching this little lost plot of land.

The pair of them obviously loved one another quite a bit as they took turns asking questions about how their lives were going.  Blaine admitted he wasn't seeing the “young man he had told her about a couple months ago on the phone” anymore and would fill her in on the details later.  She told Blaine that she had dated a couple men but was generally disinterested in what they had to offer - to which Blaine looked pleased.  Clearly he was okay with being the main man in his mother's life.

Kurt excused himself to go wander the beach, letting the smell of clean ocean air cleanse him as it washed over him.  He even let his feet go free, taking off his shoes and socks so he could feel the soft sand between his toes and let the tides lap at his toes.  

This place was exactly what he wanted.  Freedom.  It felt like freedom.  He was outside, completely in the open but he felt safe.  

He must have walked in the same space for hours because the sun dropped behind him, creating the most gorgeous blend of colours in the sky and making the water sparkle in its wake.   Kurt sat himself down in the sand and watched it happen.

Soft footsteps came up behind him, and a blanket fell over his shoulders.  For once though, he wasn't freezing, though the gesture was still appreciated as he tugged the blanket around him and Blaine sat beside him.

“I love this view.”

Kurt nodded, “It's pretty spectacular.”

“I told my mom… I told her everything.”

Kurt nodded again, “And?”

“And… she was upset.. then sad… then upset… then sad… and now I think she's okay with it all.”

“All of it?”

“Maybe…. I don't know.  She's okay with you though.”

“I doubt that…”  Kurt dug his toes into the sand.

“She is.  Please Kurt.  Trust me.”

“You know I do.”  Kurt looked back, seeing the smile form on Blaine's face.  “So what do I call her?  Mrs. Anderberry?”

Blaine chuckled and shook his head, “No… primarily because she reverted back to her maiden name when she divorced my dad.  It's Corcoran… and if you call her Shelby that'd be perfect for her.”

Kurt nodded and looked back over to the ocean, catching a small wave folding over onto itself.  “I can do that.”

They stayed and watched the ocean until it became too dark and Blaine's mother called out to them that supper was ready.  

The dinner was delicious, and Kurt again listened to Blaine and his mother banter back and forth before he could excuse himself to the bedroom where he read until Blaine showed up and crawled into the bed, offering Kurt his chest so the pair of them could fall asleep.

“She can't like this.”  Kurt murmured as he felt the first wisps of drowsiness hit him.

“Hrm…” Blaine responded and then Kurt could feel in his chest the long, deep breathes that told him Blaine was asleep.

And he followed shortly thereafter.