When Kurt woke up, it was to the warmth of the sun beating down on his naked body. It took a moment for Kurt to recall the previous nights events in his sleepy haze and realize that there wasn't the warm body beside him that was expected. He opened his eyes and looked over his room, not seeing Blaine. On the nightstand however was a note and one of Blaine's revolvers.

Kurt reached over and grabbed the note, bringing it close to him so he didn't have to get out of the comfort of his bed to read it.

Had to check on Minnie and feed her. Keep the gun for protection. -B

Not as romantic as Kurt might have hoped for, but underlying the message was the fact that Blaine cared about him and wanted him to be safe.

It took a few more minutes before Kurt dragged himself out of the bed and got dressed. He wore his belt loose to holster the gun against the small of his back and let his vest hide the hilt. Kurt packed a satchel of mending with thread, needles, and patches and went through the back door of the building towards Blaine's camp.

Kurt purposely walked around the town instead of through it to get to the campsite. He didn't want to run into anyone from last night, and for now he wanted to remain ignorant of the fallout from the brawl.

When he did get to the camp, Blaine was crouched beside Minnie who was eating something out of Blaine's hand - a carrot it looked like, while Blaine stroked her forehead with his other hand, speaking in hushed tones to the mare.

Kurt smiled and neared the pair, setting down his satchel by the burnt out fire as he closed in on them. Blaine didn't look up as he heard Kurt's approach.

"She's upset I left her alone."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. Growing up on a ranch he had the understanding that animals served a functional purpose for service or food and hadn't heard anyone talk about their animals as if they were people with feelings. He knelt down beside Blaine and gently pet the mare by her ears, "How do you know that?"

Blaine pulled another carrot from a bag beside him and held it out for Minnie to eat. "She won't look at me and is still to my touch."

"Ah. Well women can be temperamental." Kurt joked and smiled as he said it.

Blaine grinned, "Must be why I like men."

The men laughed together and Blaine took a look over Kurt's midsection. "Where's the gun?"

Kurt turned himself in place and lifted his vest so he could show Blaine the gun tucked into the back of his belt.

"I'll teach you how to use it." Blaine said, standing up and brushing off his hands.

Kurt chuckled and stood as well, pulling the gun out and pointing at an empty bottle by the dead fire. He lifted his armed hand and shot one, the bottle shattering on impact.

He holstered the gun again and looked back to Blaine who had arched both eyebrows in surprise. "I grew up on a ranch. I can shoot just fine."

"Then why don't you have one so you can protect yourself?"

Kurt shrugged a little as he spoke, "Originally I thought I wouldn't need one living in town since law enforcement was around and armed.... And then I just didn't have the money to buy one. So thank you for loaning me one."

Blaine smiled softly, "It's a gift, not a loan. I keep a few I've won in cards so I have more then I have hands to hold them."

"So I'm guessing that's what competition you'll be in then?"

Blaine nodded. "Never spent time on a ranch so I don't know much about cattle herding and branding and all, but I can shoot."

They continued talking for a long while about nothing of substance, after awhile Kurt pulling out his mending and sitting on the ground to work as they spoke. Blaine brushed Minnie and braided her tail and mane, then set about restarting the fire to make a meal. Neither of them broached the topic of the last night and what had transpired between them.

They ate a simple lunch of fried potatoes and what Blaine identified as deer meat. Blaine always added lots of natural herbs to the food he cooked so Kurt enjoyed the flavour and had no problem finishing it all.

"You should quit working the saloon." Blaine stated, leaning back against a tree after finishing his meal.

Kurt looked at Blaine curiously, "I can't. There's not much else I can do for work and I have a rent to pay, a loan to pay off, and I need to save up to get out of here."

"You don't enjoy it though."

Kurt snorted a little in something between a laugh and a huff, "People do what they need to do to get by. How do you have so much money anyhow?"

Blaine's shrugged. "Had a good bit my father gave me when I left, and I play good cards. Never been an issue."

"Well, see, I don't have that particular talent, so I have to work more for less coin."

"What would you do if you had a choice?"

Kurt signed and set his mending to the side, rubbing over his aching hands, "Designing clothing for the rich and powerful, or acting on stage."

"So why don't you do that then?"

Kurt looked at the townscape behind him, "This isn't the place for it. If I can get to New York.... Then I might be able to do what I want, but first I have to survive Lima."

"What if I gave you all the money you needed?"

Kurt looked back to Blaine in wonder and confusion. "Why would you do that?"

Blaine shrugged again, "You need it and I have it."

"Blaine... You can't keep saving me. There are some things I need to do for myself. I'm not helpless and I'm not weak. Don't treat me like I am."

Blaine held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean to. I just don't put the value in coin most do. If I have it and someone needs it, I give it. I can always get more."

Kurt sighed. He wondered what it would be like if money wasn't such a powerful force in his life. His debt was suffocating and everything he needed came at a price. If coins were just another object, instead of representing the value they did, he wondered what life would be like. It would be so easy to just say yes to Blaine's offer and leave this all behind so quickly, but it wouldn't be right.

"Well... I should see if Santana hired someone yet and send a courier to my dad's ranch to see if Finn and Rachel made it back there alright." Kurt finally said, packing up his work as he spoke.

Blaine didn't respond, but just watched Kurt as he packed, got up, and left. He would come back into town when it was time to drink and play cards.

Kurt walked through the town on the way back, intending to stop at the post office. He saw, but hurried past, some of Sebastian's posse near the carpentry shop. Thankfully, for Kurt at least, they seem occupied hassling the manager for money and didn't notice Kurt.

He went in and out of the post office with no hassle and made his way back to the saloon without event. As he entered the saloon, he found, not Santana, but Kyle and Azimio and two girls he didn't recognize. He paused in the doorway and just waited there, not wanting to get closer to the boys ahead of him.

Azimio was the one who saw him first and the big, burly black man turned to Kurt, "Congratulations little fairy prince, you're the new manager. These ladies are your new employees. You screw us over or steal - you're dead."

Kurt's jaw dropped and he looked at Azimio, stammering, "Where's Santana?! Is she alright?"

Kyle and Azimio snickered at some shared joke and Kyle noted, "She's found new employment after the damage she caused to this fine establishment last night." He pointed up at the hole in the ceiling.

"But... the fight wasn't her fault... she just stopped it." Kurt looked between them. The entire time the two ladies behind them were quiet.

"She didn't manage the place well enough anyhow. Your turn." Kyle laughed and walked past Kurt, purposely bumping his shoulder with his own and pushing Kurt to the side in the process. Azimio followed closely after, leaving Kurt with the two female strangers and a wealth of questions.

"I'm Mercedes..." spoke one of the girls and Kurt looked over at the curvy ebony woman. Her hair was braided back and she wore a taffeta skirt with a gibson blouse.

"... and I'm Marley." said the other girl and Kurt looked her over. She was a very slight brunette and he noticed she was wearing the same as Mercedes, but in a darker suede.

Kurt looked over his shoulder where the two men had gone and then back to the women before him. "Well I guess we get this place in order and while that's happening, tell me what you know."

Mercedes and Marley helped Kurt without question, pushing tables and chairs back into place from where he and Santana had pushed them against the wall. During this process they told them they had both been working in the Karofsky manner up until this morning when David had told them he was reassigning them here with no warning. They didn't know what happened to Santana and having spent so much time around Karofsky's, knew better than to ask.

Both of them had come from farm families, looking for a better life in town, and had ended up trapped just like Kurt. Mercedes unloaded a wealth of gossip about the ladies coming and going from the manor, the number of Lima townspeople in debt to the Karofsky's, and the amount of time Mrs. Karofsky spent self medicating with drinks in the home. Marley was a lot quieter and spooked everytime she heard something unexpected.

Kurt tried to give them the best notes about how to serve, and what to expect from the patrons. Mercedes offered to make the supper dish and went into the back while Kurt and Marley did a final wipe down of the furniture.

Kurt would see if anyone tonight knew what happened to Santana. Failing that he would go talk to Quinn after work and see if she had heard any gossip.

Blaine was the first one in and as he looked at Kurt behind the till, Marley trying to pre-fill glasses, and Mercedes setting the counter with filled plates, a look of confusion filled his face. He caught eyes with Kurt, who shook his head and mouthed that he would explain later, calling over to Marley that Blaine would be having whiskey.

After Blaine there was a steady stream of customers, and Kurt tried to make things easier for the girls by letting them know what the regular patrons would want and who always ordered the supper. Thankfully the evening didn't get too rowdy or loud, though the guest number was lower, especially since none of David or Sebastian's men were in attendance.

Today there had been a barrel racing competition and many of the locals had been beat over some hotshot kid from a far west town. Many bets had been lost and the mood was sour because of it. Blaine stayed at the bar near the register between card games and he and Kurt continued their dance around one another, neither about to talk about the nature or existence of their relationship.

When the night came to an uneventful end, Kurt directed Mercedes and Marley on clean up routines while he counted cash. Blaine stayed behind and Kurt saw out of the corner of his eyes the girls exchanging glances, but he said nothing.

"I need to go next door and talk to Quinn. See if she knows anything about Santana." Kurt noted to Blaine. Throughout the evening, Kurt had baited customers with mentions of Santana to see if they would say anything or ask about her, but it seemed everyone was tight lipped.

"She's next door." Blaine said, swirling the last sip of his whiskey in the glass before downing it.

Kurt chuckled, "I know that. I tailor for Quinn all the time."

Blaine shook his head, "No. Santana. She's next door."

Kurt blanched and stopped in mid-count, looking exasperatedly at Blaine. "What? When the hell did you find that out? Why didn't you tell me?"

Blaine shrugged up his shoulders, "Thought you knew. Heard it from a couple guys playing cards tonight."

Kurt leaned forward on the counter and stared down to Blaine, who didn't flinch or move back, "What exactly did you hear?"

"She was grabbed on her way to the bank today, by some of the" and Blaine snickered through the next part, "lawmen here."

"And?" Kurt goaded him on.

"And they took her to the whorehouse. Whatever your friend last night got saved from, she inherited."

"Shit." Kurt picked up the cash and counted through it quickly, putting it away in the safe with the invoice as fast as he could. He told Mercedes and Marley he'd be back and to keep cleaning, rushing out of the saloon and towards the bordello, with Blaine following slowly behind him at a more leisurely pace.

"Quinn?! Santana?!" Kurt yelled as he pushed open the doors and looked around the lobby. Some of Quinn's girls, Sugar and Kitty, pointed down the hall and Kurt followed their directive, speed walking down until he got to the end of the hall and Quinn leaning back against a door, almost guarding it.

"Quinn. What happened? Is she alright?" Kurt had to take a breath after speaking, between rushing and rambling, he was out of air.

Quinn nodded and looked down the hall where Blaine was slowly trailing after Kurt before looking back to him. "They dumped her off here this afternoon. Said she's a good lay who just needs training in being an obedient whore." Quinn growled after that, clearly not pleased with having to quote it. "She's in with Brittany."

Kurt's stomach knotted, and he felt like he needed to vomit. He wasn't the only one who had been taking abuse from the elite in town and he felt like an idiot for not realizing that Santana was going through something major. "Can I see her?"

Quinn nodded and stepped aside, though raised a hand to stop Blaine, "You stay out though. She's had enough trauma today without being crowded."

Blaine nodded and turned to lean against the wall opposite the door and Kurt pushed the door open slowly, calling gently, "Santana?"

On the bed, Santana was balled up with her knees held to her chest. One of Quinn's girls, Brittany, had her own arms wrapped around Santana and was whispering to her. Santana looked up when Kurt came up and choked on a sob, "Kurt..."

Immediately Kurt rushed to her and put his own arms around her as he climbed the bed, "Santana. I didn't know what had happened. I was worried, and they wouldn't tell me... and..."

He realized he sounded like a self obsessed fool and shut his mouth, just looking over his friend with empathetically pained eyes. Santana whimpered softly and Brittany stroked her hair, "It'll be alright sweetheart... at least we can be together now..."

Kurt cast a glance at Brittany and then back at Santana. It quickly became very clear why Santana had been enthralled to have received a brothel token last week, and it was just another thing Kurt realized he had missed. How much more could he be ignorant about he questioned to himself.

"Kurt. I said no to him, and he got so mad, but I didn't want to be with anyone else anymore...." Santana spoke between sobs and Kurt found himself tearing up as well. How many other people in town would share the same story they did he wondered. How long until David got really angry with him?

"I know Santana. I know. David..." Kurt choked a little and he and Santana looked each other, sharing a knowing gaze. It wasn't long before they were embracing and crying in each other's arms, random thoughts and words being spoken in no coherent conversation. Brittany left to get them some water to drink while they worked through the shared pain.

Once they had gotten all the tears out that they could, and had a drink of water, Brittany left them alone and they just talked. Kurt told her all about David, and Santana told him all about Kyle. When she refused Kyle yesterday morning, she had found herself held down and raped and then in here, told that if she didn't work off her own debts here that her parents would be fired from the mine where they both worked just south of the town, or worse, find themselves in a closed mineshaft.

Kurt shook his head after Santana spoke, "Why do we all allow this? When did it get so bad?"

"Oh Kurt... it's always been bad. We just tricked ourselves into thinking these things wouldn't happen to us." Santana wiped her face over with a wet cloth, trying to clean off the tear streaks.

"But why do we stand for it? There's more people in Lima than there is Karofsky's and Smythes, even with their posses. We shouldn't have to live in fear of them."

Santana nodded slowly and passed the cloth to Kurt who also wiped off his face, "We shouldn't... but we do. No one is brave enough to publicly stand up to them."

Kurt sighed, "Will you be alright here?"

Santana nodded, "Quinn said she'll just have me help with the prep work and cleaning around here and I don't have to... do that. Plus I'll be able to be with Brittany. I love her you know...."

Kurt smiled weakly. "I could tell by the way you two look at one another. I never knew you were... you know... But I'm happy for you."

Santana gave Kurt a genuine smile and hugged him. "You 'git. I'll be around. We'll see one another. It's not like this is goodbye."

Kurt hugged back tightly, "No. No goodbyes. Take care of yourself."

Kurt left the room then and as he did, Brittany hurried herself back in. Quinn was gone but Blaine was still there, and Kurt admonished himself for forgetting Blaine was shadowing him and spending so long in the room.

Blaine didn't seem to mind though and as Kurt arrived he noted, "Can we go? I keep having to tell these women that I don't like vagina and they keep pushing. As a rule I don't hit women... but if I keep having to rebuff their advances.."

Kurt snicked and nodded. "They're just doing their job." He walked out the door and Blaine once again trailed behind him. What Kurt wouldn't give right then just to be able to hold Blaine's hand out in the open, but they both knew the unspoken rule that they needed to look detached from one another publicly in order to be safe to be together privately.

Kurt checked in on the saloon and noted that Marley and Mercedes had left it in pristine condition. He and Blaine then made their way to Blaine's camp so that Blaine wouldn't have to leave Minnie alone for another night. While Kurt washed himself off in the nearby creek, Blaine let Minnie off her rope and let her run and drink from the creek as well.

"Don't you worry she'll run away?" Kurt asked, watching the beautiful mare dash through the field.

Blaine shook his head, "When someone is a part of you, they don't run from you. She also knows she won't get nearly as many treats from anyone else."

Kurt smiled and retreated to the tent, undressing himself and neatly folding his clothing into a pile before crawling under the blanket. Blaine came in not long after, once Minnie had been tied and fed. He looked at Kurt laying in front of him and just watched for a moment until Kurt interrupted whatever thoughts had been going through his head.

"Why do you just watch me sometimes?"

Blaine slowly began undressing himself as he replied, "Because you're gorgeous. Why wouldn't I want to look?"

Kurt shook his head, "No... there's more to it than that. I can see something in your eyes."

Blaine sighed and didn't respond until he was also undressed. He crawled in beside Kurt and wrapped his arms around him, drawing him near. "I'm trying to decide what to do."

Kurt lightly traced over Blaine's chest with his fingers, combing them through the small tufts of hair that led a path from his chest down to his groin. "About what?"

"You." was the simple and curt reply given. Kurt tilted his head back to look up at Blaine, asking with his eyes to expound on that.

"It's not like I've met many... hell... anyone like me before... at least not anyone who would say as much openly. Hit on lots of guys, and ended up run out of towns. You're the first one that I realized might like me back. Not quite sure what to do now though."

Kurt kept his eyes on Blaine the entire time he spoke and once he was done, leaned up to press a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips. "I have a hard time believing you'd let yourself get run out of a town..."

Blaine looked down to Kurt, "I could've stayed I guess, but there was no reason to, so I let them push me out of towns..."

Kurt moved his hand to stroke Blaine's cheek gently, "And I do like you back. It's not even a question."

Blaine smiled a little at that, and it was a somewhat goofy grin that made Kurt chuckle with delight.

"Look. I don't know what to do either. Let's just play it by ear and make sure no one else finds out about us. I don't want to get hurt, and I sure as hell don't want you getting hurt." Kurt finally said.

Blaine nodded and then brought his lips back against Kurt's. They exchanged the tastes of one another as their tongues met - Blaine tasted like coffee and whiskey, while Kurt tasted like honey and vanilla. Both thinking the other tasted like heaven.

Their hands roamed down so they were each gently stroking the other while kissing sweetly. It was such a dramatic difference from the night before, but less driven by passion, and more by affection. Blaine began moving his kisses down Kurt's chin and down his neck, then chest. It took a moment for Kurt to realize what Blaine's intent was before he went from enjoying the pleasure to feeling panic. "No!"

Blaine looked up, clearly confused. His head hovering over Kurt's stomach.

Kurt shifted and sat himself upright, "I mean... please. Not that. I don't think... anything but that please."

Blaine's eyes danced from Kurt's penis back to Kurt's face and he finally nodded, moving back up to return to kissing Kurt on the lips and stroking Kurt's cock back to full erection.

After a while, Blaine reached over to his medical satchel and fished around in there before pulling out a small jar. Kurt realized it must be lubricant and nodded to Blaine as soon as he saw it, laying back down.

Blaine dipped a finger into the lube and then teased the finger along Kurt's hole, looking up at Kurt's face as he whimpered and wiggled in place with anticipation. The finger slipped in slowly and Kurt moaned at the sensation of being spread, loving the slight burn that came with the stretch. He wondered how many times Blaine had done this before, being so prepared after all, and knowing just what to do, but the thought was pushed from Kurt's mind as Blaine began thrusting the finger back and forth inside him, rubbing just the right spot to make Kurt feel like he could come right in that instant.

"You make the hottest sounds..." Blaine murmured up at Kurt, beginning to push a second finger in and spreading Kurt further out. Kurt found he couldn't form a coherent reply because all he could emit was whimpers and moans. Once his ass was used to two fingers, he started pushing his hips down on them.

"Just... you just need to get in me Blaine. Now."

Blaine tried to protest, saying that Kurt was still too tight but Kurt kept repeating, "Now, please, now."

Coating his penis in lubrication, Blaine removed his fingers from the hole and straddled Kurt, gently opening up the puckered entrance as he pushed himself forward into Kurt, who groaned. Kurt's hands balled into fists beside him as he felt himself stretch to inhuman amounts around Blaine's cock and the burn intensified. Blaine paused, looking over Kurt to ensure he was truly alright before continuing the slide upwards until he was buried completely in the pale man.

Once Blaine had reached that point, the men looked at each other, both breathing heavily. Their gazes both held craving for the other and both moved themselves so their lips could meet in a kiss while Blaine began slowly thrusting back and forth, enjoying the way Kurt whimpered into his mouth with each slight movement.

Kurt didn't take long to come, and Blaine watched as he soaked himself in a sticky, warm glaze all over his stomach, crying softly into the pillow he had grabbed to muffle the noises he was making. It was entirely too erotic, and Blaine gave one forceful thrust more before coming inside Kurt, groaning along with the pulse of his orgasm.

They stay like that for a moment, Blaine keeping himself held up above Kurt, while Kurt trembles beneath him in shocks of post-passion sensitivity, Then Blaine pulls himself out and gets some bandaging cloth from the medical satchel which he uses to delicately wipe off Kurt's messy stomach and chest, and then his ass, which has begun to leak out Blaine's seed.

"That was my first time... doing that." Kurt murmurs, half out of it, and still in a blissful haze.

Blaine smiles softly and notes, "For me too." He throws the sticky, used bandage to the side of the tent, reminding himself to discard it later.

Kurt opened his eyes partially and looks over to Blaine, "But... you talk like..."

"I told you. I've never met anyone who might like me back." Blaine explains before Kurt can finish and then lays beside him, pulling the blanket up over them both. Blaine uses the pelt of an animal as the bottom of his makeshift bed and in this moment, it is insanely cozy.

Kurt made a small whine and pulled himself up against Blaine's side, who wraps his arms and legs around Kurt in return and kisses his forehead.

"When I visited my mother's tribe, there was a medicine woman there. She was two-spirited. It's a term used for people like us... or like your friend Santana. It's respected. She told me what I would need to know."

Kurt nodded slowly against Blaine's chest, "Respected? How could you feel like you didn't belong then?"

"Because I didn't. You just know when you don't fit into things." Blaine laid his head back on the pillow and absently stroked Kurt's back as he looked up at the tent ceiling.

Kurt slowly felt himself drifting off, his body spent and his emotions still high. Before he dozed off, he whispered, "I feel like I fit with you."

Blaine didn't respond, and just continued to stroke Kurt's back once Kurt fell asleep. Truthfully Blaine felt the same, but they didn't live in a world or time where their relationship could be acknowledged without risking themselves harm. He also didn't know if he could transition from his carefree, nomadic existence to something more permanent and stable for a boy he really didn't know that well.

Before he let himself sleep, Blaine mouthed the words to a saying taught to him by an elder.

The quote is from Ponca Chief White Eagle, a medicine man and religious leader of the Ponca tribe in the late 1800's. The Ponca were originally thought to live east of the Mississippi river until the Iroquois wars pushed them west of the Ohio river. Today they have tribes in Nebraska and Oklahoma.